The Amed (Diyarbakır) Ecology Council has called for the immediate halt of an infrastructure project in the district of Lice, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the culturally and historically significant Birkleyn Caves. Together with the Free Women’s Movement (TJA), representatives of the DEM Party, and numerous citizens, a protest was staged on Sunday, during which a statement was read out on site.
The protest demonstration was directed against the construction of a limestone quarry with an attached crushing and sorting plant, which is being carried out by the regional directorate of the Turkish road construction authority in the village of Korxa. The demonstrators gathered at the memorial site of Ehmedê Xanî and then marched on foot toward the construction site. Clashes broke out with the gendarmerie, who attempted to arrest participants and prevent members of the press from doing their work. Following protests, the measures were abandoned.
Sabri Kılıç, co-spokesperson for the Amed Ecology Council, described the project as a massive encroachment on a historically, ecologically, and socially sensitive area. The planned mining area covers around 250 hectares and is located directly above the historic Birkleyn Caves, a site of cultural and archaeological significance.
Particularly critical is the fact that no environmental impact assessment was carried out for the project—a move that Kılıç defined as illegal and dangerous: “This project will not only extract rock. It will destroy the ecosystem, contaminate groundwater, endanger grazing land and the livelihoods of the local population, and irreparably damage the region’s historical heritage.”
Kılıç emphasized that the affected areas have been used as pasture land for centuries and are indispensable for agriculture and animal husbandry. Such a transformation against the will of the population is unacceptable, he said. The Ecology Council demanded the immediate revocation of the exemption from the obligation to carry out an environmental impact assessment and a complete halt to construction. It said it would continue its resistance together with the villagers and civil society organizations.
DEM Party MP Ceylan Akça also joined the protest. She criticized the authorities for hiding behind alleged security concerns in order to suppress fundamental rights to freedom of expression and assembly. She said that this was not just about nature, but also about the future: “We are fighting so that our children will still know what the Birkleyn Caves look like. And we are even defending the shade of the tree under which those who want to destroy this country are hiding today.”
Lawyer Ahmet Inan, who is also co-chair of the Environmental Commission of the Diyarbakır Bar Association, pointed out that the excavation site is located in the immediate vicinity of ancient settlements and burial sites, posing an acute threat to archaeological cultural heritage. The responsible authorities, such as the governorate, the district governorate in Lice, and the monument authority, have not yet responded.
“This illegal intervention must be stopped immediately. We have taken legal action and will support the resistance of the population with all means available under the rule of law,” said İnan. He called on the responsible authorities to fulfill their responsibilities and limit the damage.
The gathering ended with slogans and applause. The protests are set to continue.