Excavators enter Dersim's Munzur Springs

* Photo: Twitter

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Excavators have entered Munzur Springs in Turkey's eastern province of Dersim as part of a controversial landscaping project that will zone the sacred place of the Alevi faith for construction.

Amid objections and criticisms of the Alevi community, locals, institutions and associations, the project could not be stopped. Earth diggers entered the area and started working there last evening (September 21).

The Dersim Studies Center has announced it on its Twitter account:

"Even though Tunceli (Dersim) Governor said that excavators would not be used in the landscaping works to be undertaken in the area, excavators have entered Munzur Springs. We see this action as an attack on our places of faith and call on the authorities to right this wrong."

Munzur Gözelerine iş makinaları girdi

Tunceli Valisinin, peyzaj çalışamalarında iş makinaları kullanılmayacağını belirtmesine rağmen Munzur Gözelerine iş makinaları girdi. Bu girişimi inanç yerlerimize bir saldırı olarak görüyor, yetkilileri bu yanlıştan vaz geçmeye çağırıyoruz. pic.twitter.com/Awz8qORlkZ

— Dersim Araştırmaları Merkezi (@ArastDersim) September 22, 2020

About Munzur Springs

Located in the district of Ovacık in Dersim, Munzur Springs (Munzur Gözeleri) are considered sacred by the Alevi citizens. 

With the decree of the Erzurum Preservation Board dated July 17, 2008, Munzur Springs was declared a 1st Degree Natural Protected Site.

What does the project foresee?

The Munzur Landscaping Project was drafted in 2018. The Ministry of Environment and Urbanization and the Euphrates Development Agency (FKA) allocated a budget of 8 million TRY in total to the project.

It was said that the area "would be opened to tourism" and the project aimed to "eliminate the visual pollution." Coordinated by the Governor's Office, prepared by the FKA and approved by the Erzurum Regional Board for Preservation of Cultural Assets in June 2019, the project's tender was won by Rengi Construction Inc. on June 2, 2020.

The project started on August 11. However, it was prepared without asking the opinions of local people, municipalities or non-governmental organizations in the province. Even though the project mostly foresaw wooden constructions, steel bridges will be built.

Similarly, one of the two car parks foreseen by the project will be located right next to the springs. The other one will be constructed near the Gözeler (Springs) Village. Camping stand units and sites for killing animals for sacrifice and picnic will also be located in the vicinity of the village.

It is indicated that people will enter the area for a fee if the project that will damage Munzur Springs is completed. (TP/SD)