Turkey’s gold rush whets appetite of gold-mining companies
Turkey is eager to boost gold production amid surging demand for the precious metal despite a growing movement against the environmental damage caused by the industry.
The economic uncertainties sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic have led to the global rise of gold as a financial safe haven. In Turkey, where the demand for gold has been traditionally high, the gold rush has reached jaw-dropping levels, fueled also by the nosedive of the Turkish lira.
Amid rising gold prices, gold-mining companies are eager to expand their activities in Turkey, and the ruling Justice and Development (AKP) is ready to grant them new favors — although the environmental damage caused by the industry has given rise to one the country’s most vigorous environmentalist movements in recent years.
