Nur Ne

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu is set to meet with a delegation from the Black Sea province of Artvin on Feb. 24, in a bid to resolve ongoing unrest over plans to build a new mine in Artvin's Cerattepe district.

Police used tear gas on Feb. 16 to disperse thousands of locals protesting a company's efforts to extract mine in Cerattepe region in the Black Sea province of Artvin.

Protestors, who blocked traffic with their vehicles starting late Feb. 15, threw stones at the security forces in response. The road is still blocked after the police intervention.

An investigation has been launched against six people who allegedly blocked off a road in several upland areas in the Black Sea province of Artvin to prevent mining activities, which several rights groups and environmental organizations say will destroy the region?s ecosystem.

Tension has risen between gendarmerie forces and locals in the Black Sea province of Artvin, with local activists trying to prevent untouched forest in the region from being cleared for new mining facilities. 

A group of locals and environmentalist activists blocked the road to an untouched forested area in the Black Sea province of Artvin to prevent the activities of a mining firm.

Activists and locals guard the mountainous forests of Artvin in separate locations to prevent Forestry Ministry officials from entering the area.