In the Karlıova district of Bingöl province, thousands of people took to the streets on Saturday against the planned geothermal project. Under the slogan “We defend our nature, our water, and our land,” they marched from the town cemetery to the central square, where a rally was then held.
During the march, slogans such as “We will win through resistance” and “Long live the resistance of Kanîreş” were repeatedly chanted. Numerous environmental activists, representatives of civil society organizations, and political parties took part in the demonstration. The protest is linked to ongoing disputes over a project by a US-based energy company.
Speakers at the rally site criticized the project as an intervention in the natural foundations of life in the region, and reaffirmed resistance against it.
DEM MP Ayten Kordu stated that the people would defend their land, water, and future. “We will not allow this plunder. Our truth is the truth of resistance,” she said. The protest, she said, is directed against the policy that subordinates nature and living spaces to economic interests.
DEM Party Istanbul MP Kezban Konukçu placed the protest in a broader context and referred to similar conflicts in other regions. “The capital wants to destroy our living spaces. Together we will win,” she said.
DEM Party MP Sümeyye Boz emphasized that the resistance would continue. “We will not allow our living spaces to be destroyed,” she said, announcing that the protest in the region would be further expanded.
DEM Party MP Ömer Faruk Hülakü referred to past environmental disasters and criticized the lack of legal accountability. He drew parallels with current projects and stated that the people in Karlıova would “not allow the destruction of its means of subsistence.”
Further speeches also emphasized that the resistance should be expanded beyond the region. Among other things, people were called on to participate in further protests.
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