WAN - Ecologists working in Wan drew attention that there is an attempt to dehumanize the Kurdistan geography through ecological destruction and stated that one should not remain silent against this situation.

 

Ecological destruction continues in the Kurdistan region with dams, HEPPs, mines, fires and deforestation built under the name of "security". New police stations and police stations are being built in places where deforestation has occurred in recent years. Evaluating the situation, ecologist Mesut Bor said: "Ecological destruction in Kurdistan and Turkey has reached a serious level in the last 6 years. This ecological destruction is being continued with different policies in both Kurdistan and Turkey. The purpose of ecological destruction in Kurdistan is to dehumanize the region and to build police stations and fortresses in the plundered regions."

 

'THE AIM IS TO DEHUMANIZE KURDISTAN'

 

Stating that all of Turkey and Kurdistan condemned the deforestation in Akbelen and that a solidarity emerged, Bor said: “However, for some reason, no voice was heard anywhere about the ecological destruction in Kurdistan. There was no sound from either non-governmental organizations or any other media on this issue. This is not just limited to forests. In particular, serious damage is caused to the hydrographic structure. The sole purpose of this is to depopulate the region. How do you do this; First, you do it by killing nature. Secondly, water is one of the most important features of a settlement, the hydrographic structure, and you destroy it. If you destroy the forests by destroying them, these places will become deserts and we will face drought, so the main purpose is to depopulate the region. Another reason is the deliberate destruction of the memory of the Kurds. For example, the dams and metal mines built on the Zilan Creek are entirely done to destroy the memory of the Kurds and to ensure their migration from this geography. In addition, it is aimed to destroy cultural values. Hasankeyf is an important example of this."

 

'DAMS AND HEPPS ARE DESTROYING WAN LAKE'

 

Stating that the dams and HEPPs built in Wan and its surroundings have caused great destruction to nature, Bor said: “The dam and HEPPs have caused great destruction, especially in the rivers in Wan Lake and its surroundings. Bendimahi Stream and Zilan Stream, which are one of the two branches of the streams that feed this lake, have unfortunately been left completely dry due to the dams and mines built in the last few years. While there is a serious decrease in the number of Pearl Mullet Fish, an endemic species found in the lake, Wan Lake is also gradually drying out. If no precautions are taken, the Pearl Mullet and other creatures in the lake will disappear within 10 years. Not only the people of Kurdistan, but also everyone who is a dissident in Turkey, who truly loves nature and loves their homeland, must react to this massacre of nature. "As long as there is no response to the massacre of nature, the massacre of nature will continue."

 

'THOUSANDS OF HECTARES OF AREA WERE DESTROYED'

 

Ali Kalçık, President of the Historical Monuments Preservation Research and Development Association (Van ÇEV-DER), said that there is no serious forest presence in Kurdistan geography due to its continental climate. Stating that there is a serious problem caused by the global climate, Kalçık said: “In addition to the global climate crisis that the world is experiencing, Kurdistan also has its own problems. We know that there are not enough forests in Kurdistan anyway. For example, although the green area per person in Wan should be at least 15 square meters, this area has decreased to 0.75 centimeters. It is an area where living things and people cannot live anymore and where oxygen is not taken. In a place where such a problem occurs, when we look at the specificity of Wan, there are forest areas in Şax and Miks. Now the forests there are also being seriously destroyed. For example, a police station is being built in the village of Ferganîs. Thousands of hectares of land were destroyed for the police station built in Kato Mountain and Ferqanis village. Such a massacre is being carried out."

 

FOREST FIRES

 

Stating that when we look at Kurdistan in general, in Cudi, Gabar, Herekol, Kato, Hizan, Besta; In fact, in all Kurdistan mountains that cross the border, serious fires are being started or they are being destroyed, Kalçık said: “Forests have been destroyed from Cudi, Gabar and all Kurdistan mountains for a long time. This is not an acceptable situation. Every part of the Cilo mountain range is being excavated, mines are being extracted, and its forests are being destroyed and plundered. Forest fires occur all over the world due to natural or human reasons, but in Kurdistan, they are cut off in the name of security and the fires they start are not even allowed to be extinguished. Forest fires are practices that will bring the end of humans, animals, and even all living things. Not intervening in forest fires is a disgrace to humanity and is an unacceptable situation. No matter what reason you burn it, it has no mental, conscience or humane side. This is being done to suffocate and kill the Kurds, but not only Kurds live there, in a place where there is wildlife, you are depleting the life and oxygen there. Deforestation is a clear example of animal slaughter. The state must definitely give up these militarist understanding and practices."

 

'THE PURPOSE OF TURKİSH STATE IS TO END LIFE'

 

Drawing attention that "Ministry of Forestry '' was written on the mountain at the entrance of Wan's Western district, but there was not a single tree there, Kalçık said: "There is such a strange contradiction. The purpose of the Turkish state is to endi life here, dehumanizing it, desertifying it and drying it out. This is not an acceptable situation. The sad part of this situation is that environmentalists and ecologists around the world remain silent. This brutality committed in the name of security is not acceptable. There was a serious resistance in Akbelen and we, as ÇEV-DER, also participated. But while Cudi was being burned, no public opinion was created. There are two reasons for this; We Kurdistanis are insensitive to this situation and remain silent. If we had done what was required by the ecological society paradigm and our people had shown resistance, perhaps this great destruction would not have occurred. Each tree cut down is a cut vein in the human body."