RPM was contracted by Turkish fertiliser manufacturer Gubretas, a subsidiary of the state-owned Agricultural Credit Cooperative, which took over ownership of the high-grade, undeveloped gold project in 2019.

The statement was the first to be released by a Turkish-listed company on the Borsa Istanbul Stock Exchange under the country's mineral reporting code UMREK, which became compulsory in 2019.

RPM Global advisory services executive general manager Philippe Baudry said Turkey's mining industry was undergoing a resurgence, and as one of just a few consulting firms with its own in-house UMREK qualified people in Turkey, the company was in high demand.

"Our team of experts on the ground are fielding queries from companies for our knowledge and support in the preparation of mining studies and compliance reports, which is a reflection of our solid reputation and quality offerings in these important areas of project development," he said.

"The recent expansion of our Turkey team reflects a critical part of our strategy to grow our market share across the region through the provision of a strong local presence, and our Turkish office provides the perfect base to serve clients in the region around Turkey."

Baudry said Turkey's growing pipeline of projects and strong levels of exploration was expected to accelerate demand for the company's independent assessment, governance and financier due diligence services."