Turkey orders urgent expropriation for thorium mining in Eskişehir

The Turkish government has issued a decision for the urgent expropriation of 258 properties in the Beylikova and Sivrihisar districts of Eskişehir. This move is part of a strategic project coordinated by Eti Maden İşletmeleri to exploit thorium, barite, fluorite, and rare earth elements.

The project aims to establish comprehensive infrastructure, including open-pit mining sites, industrial processing facilities, waste dams, and logistics networks for transporting ores. These materials are considered highly strategic due to their applications in high-technology products and the defense industry.

The expropriation decision has drawn criticism from political figures, including the Eskişehir Provincial Chair of the YENİ Party and the SOL Party Eskişehir Provincial Organization. Critics are calling for greater transparency regarding how land is being seized, how compensation will be determined, and the potential environmental and agricultural impacts of open-pit mining on the local community.