BATMAN - Thousands of trees were cut down after the local authority of Gercüş claimed that "wolves are killing the sheeps". The Forestry Directorate claimed that they could not intervene in the cutting of trees.

 

The local authority of Gundik village in Batman's Gercüş district, Mirze Yılmaz, spoke to a local news outlet on July 12 that the wolves hiding in the trees around the village killed 200 small cattle a year and that's why they decided to cut the trees. However, a villager we interviewed on the subject claimed that the reason given by the local authority was an excuse for cutting trees, and that he had agreed with a company for millions of TL for the trees he planned to cut down.

 

THOUSANDS OF TREES HAVE BEEN CUT

 

After Muhtar Yılmaz's statement, deforestation started in the region. The Mesopotamia Agency (MA) recorded deforestation in the region. Thousands of trees cut down in the region were collected in one area. Some trees were turned into coal. The villagers we interviewed about the cutting of trees said that the local authority convinced many families and cut the trees through a company from Bingöl. Villagers shared the information that the cut trees will be moved in the upcoming days.

 

THE FORESTRY DIRECTORATE DO NOT INTERVENE 

 

The officials of Batman Provincial Directorate of Forestry, whom we spoke  about the deforestation, claimed that the areas where the trees were cut was private registered land and therefore they could not intervene.

 

'DEFORESTATION SHOULD BE STOPPED IN KURDISTAN'

 

Condemning the cutting of the trees, Ecologist Rıdvan Ayhan said: "The cutting of trees is still going on. This region is the most oxygen-rich region of Batman. It is urgent to stop the plunder that destroys the life of the creatures living in Kurdistan. This is a huge forest area. Their aim is to destroy this huge area and leave the mountain bare. Deforestation should be stopped in Kurdistan. Wolves hiding in the trees are just an excuse for the cutting of the trees. We will not allow the destruction that is intended to be created in Kurdistan."

 

TREES ARE BEING CUT UNDER the SUPERVISION OF THE STATE

 

Stating that some of the trees were transported by trucks and some of them were turned into coal, Ayhan said: "All of this were carried out under the supervision of the state. The trees are being cut under the supervision of the state. The government has been carrying out a "plundering policy" from Cudi to the Ida Mountains. They have turned this into a trade. Since they did not leave any trees in Mount Cudi and now they try to do the same thing here. Those who plundered Cudi now want to plunder this region. We need to stand up against destruction. Both the life of the animals in the region and our oxygen are in danger."

 

MA / Fethi Balaman