* Photo: Evrensel
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The villagers have been resisting the stone quarry planned to be opened in İkizdere in Turkey's Black Sea province of Rize for 44 days now.
Setting up a committee, the people of İkizdere went to the capital city of Ankara yesterday (June 2) in order to make their voices heard by wider audiences and to seek support for their struggle.
The committee from İkizdere submitted its requests to meet the representatives of ruling and opposition parties; however, their requests for visit have been left unanswered by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).
The committee had met Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, the leader of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), and representatives from the Felicity Party (SP) the day before. They also met opposition İYİ Party Chair Meral Akşener and DEVA Party representatives yesterday.
Following these meetings withthe opposition parties, the people of İkizdere held a press statement in front of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) Ankara Branch Office.
'We will not step back'
Gathering in front of the TMMOB Ankara Office, the committee opened a banner that read, "Don't let İkizdere be a stone quarry, İkizdere is not without an owner." Nurdan Taş from the committee read out the statement for the press on behalf of the people resisting in İkizdere.
Underlining that they will not take a step back from their struggle against the stone quarry, Nurdan Taş said, "Not only are we struggling against a stone quarry in İkizdere, but we are also objecting to unlawful and arbitrary decisions there. What we do is to reveal the unlawfulness."
Noting that the political party representatives that they had met promised to support them, Baş briefly added the following:
"It needs to be known that the struggle we are waging is above party lines. We know that nature does not have a party. Our valley is open for all nature lovers and institutions that are on the side of nature.
"We have focused on our cause under no political identity. We have opened our doors to every legitimate institution which supports us in order to make our voices heard everywhere and by everyone; we have told them about our troubles. This is not solely the issue or cause of the people of İkizdere, this is the issue and cause of Turkey."
What's happening in İkizdere?A decision of urgent expropriation was taken in İskencedere Valley in the district with the Presidential decree for the quarry needed to be used in the logistics port construction to be built in the İkizdere, Rize. Thereupon, the villagers took action and set up a tent at the entrance of the valley, started to keep watch and took the decision to the court. However, Cengiz Holding employees, who would carry out the construction, entered the valley on April 21 and started to work for the stone quarry. Company employees, who came with the gendarmerie, asked the citizens who set up tents at the entrance of the valley and were on guard to remove their tents. Despite the reactions of the citizens on watch, the tents were lifted and the gendarmerie barricaded the entrance of the valley. In a short time, the construction machines started to work, and the people of the region flocked to the valley. Citizens said that the authorities of the company working in the valley did not have any permissions and that the work was illegal. The resisting villagers ensured that the construction machinery left the area with their protests. Law enforcement fined the villagers for failing to comply with the curfew declared as part of the COVID-19 pandemic measures. The villagers continued to resist despite the fines. On Sunday, April 25, the villagers whose roads were blocked came with trucks from the forest and demanded the cessation of the activity and the withdrawal of the gendarmerie. The gendarmerie did not withdraw and, as the resistance continued, they intervened with tear gas against the villagers. Several women were injured during the intervention, and the villagers were detained. The villagers, including İkizdere Associations Federation Chair Ziya Yıldırım, were later released. They were also fined due to the 3-day coronavirus lockdown. Despite the resistance, it was revealed that Cengiz İnşaat applied for a capacity increase on 3 March while the construction was continuing and the 11th Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure gave the company permission to open a new quarry. Having faced protests over the stone quarry project for weeks, Cengiz Holding stated that the site for the quarry was chosen by the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. A natural archeological siteThe quarry that Cengiz Holding wants to open is located in the natural protected area, İkizdere-İşkence Valley. The Valley has been designated as the "New Thermal and Winter Tourism Destination" by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. In the region, on the other hand, the "exemplary plateau" model will be applied by the Ministry. Therefore, the region is considered as an exemplary plateau, a natural protected area, and a tourism area. The Anzer Plateau where the famous Anzer honey is produced, Çamlık Promenade, Çağrankaya Plateaus, and Ovit are also located in İkizdere. The economy of the district is generally based on agriculture. The main agricultural products are tea and potatoes, but small amounts of kiwis, corn, pears, and nuts are also grown. While cattle and sheep are fed with the transhumance method, beekeeping is another source of livelihood. Note: Six Hydroelectric Power Plants are operating in İkizdere Valley, one of the 200 protected valleys in the world and will be used by Cengiz İnşaat for the quarry, while two quarries are actively operating. |
(KÖ/SD)
