Thousands of people staged a march in Şırnak city center today in protest at the ongoing ecological destruction in Şırnak and its districts. The demonstrators then moved to the Besta region where they launched a vigil to denounce the destruction of nature in the Botan region of Northern Kurdistan.
The crowd arrived at the scene of the vigil to see countless trees cut down by so-called village guards under military supervision.
Some mothers could not hold back their tears in the face of the massive deforestation, saying, “We will continue our vigil not just for one day, but until the destruction ends, against those who are killing our nature.”
The crowd set up tents together in the area, shared their meal and danced to Kurdish songs.
Those taking part in the vigil include Keskin Bayındır and Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar, co-chairs of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP); Tülay Hatimoğulları, co-chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party); DEM Party MPs; Mertcan Titiz, co-chair of the Socialist Reconstruction Party (SYKP); Didem Göçer, co-spokesperson of the Green Left Party; Orhan Çelebi, member of the Central Executive Committee of the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP); the Democratic Unity Initiative; the Climate Justice Coalition; representatives of democratic mass organizations; ecology organizations from Şırnak, Mardin, Amed, Urfa, Siirt and Batman; and numerous citizens.
Participants of the vigil will discuss the ecocide in the region in forums and chats throughout the night. The vigil will end at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow.
The institutions organizing the action explain the reasons for their struggle as follows:
– Ending tree cutting
– Saving Mount Cudi from coal mining
– Preventing Mount Gabar from being handed over to oil fields
– Stopping the cutting of the last remaining trees in Besta
– Ensuring the free flow of the Nerdüş river
– Preventing the Heptoprak (Heftborî) valley from being submerged
– Protecting the habitats of mountain goats and other living beings
– Stopping the destruction of the Tigris River by dams
– Preventing Avaspi from being plundered for zinc
– Stopping the depopulation of Şırnak
– Preventing the annihilation of history through ecocide
– Opposing the destruction of life by a thermal power plant in Silopi (Silopiya)
– Protecting the forests of Beytüşşebap from profit-driven projects