Alamos Gold Announces US$1 Billion Investment Treaty Claim Against the Republic of Turkey

TORONTO, April 20, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alamos Gold Inc. (TSX:AGI; NYSE:AGI) (“Alamos” or, including its direct and indirect subsidiaries, the “Company”) regrets to announce that its Netherlands wholly-owned subsidiaries Alamos Gold Holdings Coöperatief U.A, and Alamos Gold Holdings B.V. (the “Subsidiaries”) will file an investment treaty claim against the Republic of Turkey for expropriation and unfair and inequitable treatment, among other things, with respect to their Turkish gold mining project. The claim will be filed under the Netherlands-Turkey Bilateral Investment Treaty (the “Treaty”), and is expected to exceed $1 billion, representing the value of the Company’s Turkish assets.

Alamos has had an active presence in Turkey since 2010. Over that time frame, the Company’s Turkish operations have met all legal and regulatory requirements, complied with best practices relating to sustainable development including meeting the highest environmental and social management standards, created hundreds of jobs, and developed trusting relationships with the local communities. Alamos and the Subsidiaries have invested over $250 million in Turkey, unlocked over a billion dollars worth of project value, and contributed over $20 million in royalties, taxes and forestry fees to the Turkish government. Over the life of the project, government revenues alone are expected to total $551 million. Additionally, Alamos and the Subsidiaries have invested $25 million to date towards various community and social initiatives.

In October 2019, well into construction of the Kirazlı Gold Mine (“Kirazlı”), the government failed to grant a routine renewal of the Company’s mining licenses, despite the Company having met all legal and regulatory requirements for their renewal. This past October, the Turkish government refused the renewal of the Company’s Forestry Permit. The Company had been granted approval of all permits required to construct Kirazlı including the Environmental Impact Assessment approval, Forestry Permit, and GSM (Business Opening and Operation) permit, and certain key permits for the nearby Ağı Dağı and Çamyurt Gold Mines. These permits were granted by the Turkish government after the project earned the support of the local communities and passed an extensive multi-year environmental review and community consultation process.