A high court in Ankara, Turkey, recently overturned a ruling that had been hailed by many in Turkey as a massive step forward in environmental protection. In May 2001, a lower court in Izmir had banned international gold mining giant Normandy from operating at Ovacik. However, due to intensive lobbying by the corporation, the higher court has now overruled the Izmir decision, giving Normandy a green light for mining. The decision came as a severe blow to local villagers, who have been at the forefront of the campaign to stop the mining.