Rüstem Çetinkaya, Chairman of the Mining Sector Board of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Istanbul Mineral Exporters' Association (İMİB), made statements on the occasion of December 4, World Miners' Day, stating that Turkey is a country with big goals and that they are ready to do their part as miners to achieve these goals. Çetinkaya said, "We are a country with great riches. As much as our riches above the ground, we also have a magnificent wealth under the ground. If our country is to reach the level of contemporary civilizations that Mustafa Kemal Ataturk targeted, we, as miners, will be at the heart of it. We miners, who struggle hard to bring the riches under the ground together with the surface of the earth, will continue to do so. We will work for our country and bring our country to its goals."
Rüstem Çetinkaya, Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) Mining Sector Board and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Istanbul Mineral Exporters' Association (İMİB), made evaluations about the mining sector and future targets on the occasion of December 4, World Miners' Day. Stating that mining is a challenging sector, Rüstem Çetinkaya said, "Apart from the difficulty of our work, we are constantly faced with different problems. At every moment, at every point of life, a product obtained by a miner with a thousand labor is used. We are also present in agricultural lands, in the factory of an industrialist... We are also present in the kitchen of a house, on the screen where an engineer makes calculations... We are also at the heart of green energy, in the depths of the country's economy... We can multiply the examples, but we can clearly say that we are present at every point of life. Well! Are we, as miners, held in high esteem in the eyes of the public because we do these things, that is, because we ensure the continuity of life? Of course not. On the contrary, our work is constantly the subject of discussions in different environments, and we are constantly labeled with unfounded accusations. As miners who are building the future of our country and the world, we are trying to explain ourselves and continue to do our work."
'WE PRODUCE AND CREATE EMPLOYMENT FOR OUR COUNTRY'
Rüstem Çetinkaya underlined that as miners who are building the future of Turkey and the world, they are trying to continue to explain themselves and do their job, and said: "We are trying to express on every platform that the mining sector and our miners are indispensable for Turkey to achieve its goals. Because we know very well that we do our job very well. We sincerely believe that we will do much better work with the power of our state, the support of the public and the determination of our miners. Because we do mining in accordance with the rules, within the limits and laws defined by the state. We produce for our country and create employment for our country."
MINES ARE ESSENTIAL FOR A LIVABLE WORLD
Noting that green energy and sustainability are emphasized in all studies conducted for the future of the world, Rüstem Çetinkaya continued his words as follows: "At this point, international reports also reveal how important mines are. According to the report of the International Energy Agency, the use of minerals such as lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel, copper and aluminum will increase 6 times by 2040. These strategic minerals are used in solar panels, wind power plants and lithium batteries. Aluminum is needed even for the legs that will carry the wind panels. Apart from all these, the country is resorting to billions of dollars of imports due to unextracted minerals. If the world is to remain a livable place, it will be because of minerals and miners. We believe that we need to move forward by accepting minerals and embracing both without making a choice between the environment or minerals. Mines are of great importance in the transition to clean energy. Green energy will be built on mines, and mines will be at the heart of green energy. If mines continue to be called dirty, there will be no clean energy."
'AGRICULTURE IS OURS, THE ENVIRONMENT IS OURS, THE MINE IS OURS'
Stating that Turkey is a country with great riches, Rüstem Çetinkaya said, "We have a great wealth underground as well as above ground. As a country, we can reach much better points in tourism, agriculture, mining and production. As miners, we act with an understanding that prioritizes agriculture. As miners, we have been saying the same thing for a long time. We believe it wholeheartedly and repeat it in every environment: 'Agriculture is ours, the environment is ours, the mine is ours.' If our country is to reach the level of contemporary civilizations that Mustafa Kemal Atatürk set as a target, we, as miners, will be at the heart of it. We miners, who struggle hard to bring the riches under the ground to the surface of the earth, will continue to do so. We will work for our country and bring our country to its goals."
‘If the world is to remain a habitable place, it will be thanks to mines and miners.’
News source: https://madencilikturkiye.com/cetinkaya-ulkemiz-icin-calisip-ulkemizi-hedeflerine-ulastiracagiz/