In the statement made following a call by the Varto Ecology Platform, it was emphasized that the project would negatively affect 16 Kurdish-Alevi villages.
During the protest held in front of the Varto (Gimgim) Municipal Business Center, citizens carried banners, chanted slogans, and danced halay. In the statement, it was expressed that the geothermal project would harm nature and living spaces.
Sümeyye Boz, Member of Parliament for Muş from the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), reacted to the project in her speech, saying: “Our nature is our identity. As long as we remain conscious of ourselves, we will continue to protect our nature. Our resistance against the drilling planned for May will continue.”
Political and local reactions against the project were also voiced. CHP Istanbul MP Doğan Demir stated that the issue is above politics, while Varto Co-Mayors Gıyasettin Aydemir and Gülbahar Kaya said they would not allow the project and that the people would defend their lands.
Speaking on behalf of the Varto Ecology Platform, Sıla Yıldız stated that the region had previously been damaged by hydroelectric power plant projects and that with the geothermal and possible mining projects, nature is now being targeted for further destruction. She emphasized that they oppose nature being “plundered by the greed of capital.”
In the statement, a call was made to cancel the geothermal project and to stop the destruction of nature in the region, adding that legal and democratic struggle would continue.