Termessos Resisted Alexander the Great; Now, a Mine Threatens It

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(Cumhuriyet Newspaper, 12 February 2020)

Termessos click here for background.


                          Alexander-proof eagle's nest.


CHP (opposition party) member of parliament from Antalya Çetin
Osman Budak has charged that a mine that operates just 3.5
kilometers from the antique city Termessos, one of Turkey's most
important and best preserved ancient sites, will increase its production
capacity and add space "without the need of a 'ÇED'" (environmental
impact statement.) (!)

Termessos is located in the Pisidia area north of Antalya.  The
Solymi people who inhabited Termessos, located high up on a
natural plateau, fiercely and successfully resisted a seige in 333 B.C.
by Alexander the Great, who is said to have exclaimed "oh, leave it.
I have a long way to go and can't waste time with this eagle's nest."
There are Greek, Roman and Eastern Roman ruins at Termessos
remaining today.


                              I'd turn back if I were you...

Parliamentarian Budak declared that "Termessos said 'stop!' to
Alexander the Great, so this (mine expansion) cannot be allowed
to go forward either!"   Budak submitted a question about the mine's
plans to Environment and City Planning Minister Murat Kurum, 
noting that "according to the project plan, 192 explosions will take
place 16 times each month in an area of Mediterranean red pine
trees, many of which will have to be cut down."

"Additionally, the mine area is only 3.72 kilometers from a wild
animal preserve and the mine also presents a grave danger to
underground water sources beneath the mine's proposed expansion
area."