Trafigura, one of the main actors in the toxic waste scandal in Ivory Coast in 2006 that affected tens of thousands of people, will this time finance wild mining activities in Turkey. Signing a strategic cooperation agreement with CVK Mining, Trafigura made an advance payment of 70 million dollars to the company. It was announced that a significant portion of the financing will be transferred to the Sarıalan Gold Operation in İvrindi, Balıkesir.

According to the statement made to the Public Disclosure Platform (KAP), a 70 million dollar "advance payment contract" was signed on 27 July between CVK Mining and Singapore-based Trafigura Pte. Ltd. Within the scope of the agreement, the resources to be provided by Trafigura will be used for the Sarıalan Gold Operation, Yenipazar Polymetallic Mine Operation, chromium operations, and the general financing needs of the company. The advance payment will be repaid by deducting it from future mineral deliveries to be made to Trafigura in the subsequent period.

The Sarıalan Gold Operation, to which the financing will be transferred, is a project that CVK Mining acquired from Demir Export, operating under Koç Holding, for 18.5 million dollars in 2025. While the activities carried out in the region following the acquisition sparked controversy due to their environmental impacts, now the financier of the investment has become Trafigura, associated with environmental disasters in the international public eye.

The Sarıalan Gold Operation has been at the focus of backlash from the local population and environmental organisations for years. While a legal and social struggle has been waged against cyanidic gold mining since the Environmental Impact Assessment process, the EIA decision annulled by the Balıkesir 2nd Administrative Court was overturned by the Council of State, clearing the way for the project once again.

While vast forested areas are destroyed for the mine put into operation, environmental organisations continue their struggle by warning that mining will create long-term destructive effects on water resources, agriculture, and livestock breeding.

POISON FOR THE SAKE OF PROFIT!

The name of Trafigura was etched into the memory of the world public in 2006 through the toxic waste scandal in the city of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Instead of safely disposing of the hazardous waste derived from processing petroleum products at low cost aboard the vessel Probo Koala, the company preferred to reduce costs. It did not pay this fee for the waste offered to be safely disposed of in the Netherlands for approximately 620,000 dollars.

Instead, Trafigura contracted a local company for a mere 17,000 dollars, leading to hundreds of tonnes of toxic waste being dumped across at least 18 different points in Abidjan.

Following the dumping of the waste, more than 100,000 people received medical assistance. Ivory Coast authorities announced that at least 15 people lost their lives. Headaches, respiratory tract illnesses, skin burns, and digestive system ailments persisted for years.

In 2007, Trafigura reached a settlement of approximately 200 million dollars with the Ivory Coast government and obtained broad legal immunity. It was found guilty of illegal waste exports in the Netherlands, yet received a fine of merely 1 million euros. In a class action lawsuit filed in the UK, it preferred to pay compensation without accepting responsibility. Despite 20 years having elapsed, while a significant portion of the victims are still awaiting justice, the multinational company associated with environmental disasters will today become one of the actors providing financing for plunder projects in Turkey.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Kazdağları talanına Singapur'dan destek, published in BirGün newspaper on July 30, 2026.