Mass tree felling has been going on for about two years in Şırnak, a predominantly Kurdish-populated province in Türkiye's southeast.
The issue has recently become a talking point, with NGOs documenting the extent of the tree felling, the reason for which is the military operations in the region against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
In a report released in early July, the Şırnak Bar Association's Environment and City Commission said the province had lost 7 percent of its forests in seven months.
Cutting down of trees takes place in the mountainous areas between Şırnak and Siirt, in the Şırnak city center, and partly in the areas between Şırnak's İdil and Mardin's Midyat districts, according to the report.
Because of arbitrary and unregulated practices, old and endemic trees are also cut down, it said.
Every day, 10 to 15 trucks carry felled trees to surrounding provinces, as well as to Kayseri, Antep, Osmaniye and other provinces, where the trees are sold at prices much below their market value, said the report.
"Local cronies"
The trees are sold to "local cronies," Rojhat Dilsiz, the head of the Şırnak Bar Association, said last week.
"We have observed that a new process has started in our region regarding the forest areas that are burned, cut down and damaged on the grounds of 'security.'
"As a result of the studies carried out, we have seen that forest areas are offered to local cronies without adhering to the procedures in any way.
"We and environmental activists are not allowed to go to the field and make observations. There is a serious slaughter of nature going on."
Yesterday, executives of the opposition parties' provincial organizations in Şırnak, the Şırnak Bar and the Şırnak Ecology Platform gathered in the city to make statements about the issue.
"Nature is being slaughtered"
The group displayed a banner that read, "Nature is being slaughtered in Şırnak," as well as placards with the messages, "No to the looting of nature," "If nature is destroyed, life dies."
Hasan Özgüneş, a Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputy for Şırnak, said, "By making this region baren, you are being hostile to the people."
He blamed the recently appointed governor of Şırnak, Osman Bilgin, for helping "rent-seekers."
Nizar Ökten, the provincial head of the Future (Gelecek) Party, said, "the rent-seeking groups who get their strength from the government disrupt the balance of the region."
He called on the provincial director of agriculture and forestry to resign. "The rent-seeking groups keep you there. The democratic people of this country will raise their voices against the corruption and bribery groups."
Officials of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Democracy and Progress (DEVA) Party also attended the demonstration.
Turkey has long been accused of burning forests and cutting down trees for military reasons during its decades-long conflict with the PKK in the country's Kudish-majority regions. (VK)
Kurds celebrate Newroz in Diyarbakır with massive attendance
Every Newroz has been a bittersweet time for us, a time we’ve wished for peace. Today, we renew that hope. We want to live in freedom and democratic peace,” says one participant.
Thousands have gathered for Newroz celebration in the Kurdish-populated Diyarbakır province, held under the theme “A Democratic Society for Freedom."
A new stage was installed at the site, replacing the old concrete platform. Banners bearing the Kurdish slogan jin, jiyan, azadî (Women, life, freedom) and other Newroz-related slogans were hung across the stage. Security was tight, with police setting up six separate checkpoints at the venue. Attendees arriving from early morning passed through five layers of screening before being allowed entry.
Police announced that no party flags or banners, including those of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, the largest pro-Kurdish party in Turkey and main organizer of the event, would be permitted within the celebration area.
Öcalan's message missing
Large posters of Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), flanked both sides of the venue. The posters featured photos taken during his Feb 27 call involving the İmralı Delegation. Youths in the crowd also held up additional posters of Öcalan.
As the symbolic Newroz fire was lit, chants of “Bijî Serok Apo” (“Long live Leader Apo”) rang out from the crowd, reflecting ongoing support for the PKK leader.
However, a message from Öcalan could not be conveyed to the celebrations as the authorities left an application by DEM members to meet him before the celebrations unanswered.
In a statement, the DEM Party’s explained, “Contrary to expectations, the İmralı Delegation was not granted access, so Mr. Abdullah Öcalan’s message did not arrive for this year’s Newroz. Instead, his most recent photos and audio were shown on the stage screen. With the slogans shouted in the square, the people once again demonstrated their support for the call he made on Feb 27.”
Many prominent Kurdish politicians have attended the celebrations, including DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar, and Sebahat Tuncel.
Leaders from Iraq's Kurdistan region, Nechirvan Barzani, president of the regional government, Massoud Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), and Bafel Talabani, leader of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), as well as Özgür Özel, leader of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), send messages to convey their greetings.
Newroz is the traditional New Year celebration observed by various cultures in the Middle East and Central Asia, including Persians and Kurds. For Kurds, it holds particular significance as a symbol of freedom and resistance, rooted in the legend of Kawa the Blacksmith, who is said to have led a revolt against a tyrannical ruler, liberating the people.
'We are the Kurdish people'
Among the attendees was 55-year-old Sakine Y., who wore a traditional dress despite rainy conditions and helped tie a yellow-green-red scarf around her friend’s head. “Today, we see the photos of Kemal [Kurkut, killed by police during 2017 Newroz], Selahattin Demirtaş, and most importantly the İmralı Delegation on display. These are our realities. We’re not just here to celebrate. Newroz is joy, it’s resistance, it’s fire,” she said. “It might rain and we’ll be covered in mud, but we’re here in our traditional clothes. We are the Kurdish people, we forget neither our past nor our present.”
Ahmet T., a 22-year-old student, attended with friends and emphasized the emotional significance of the day. “Every Newroz has been a bittersweet time for us, a time we’ve wished for peace. Today, we renew that hope. We want to live in freedom and democratic peace,” he said. “To my friends resisting in İstanbul, I say: don’t be afraid. Peace is for all of us, not just the Kurds. Together, we will overcome this oppressive order.”
Barzani calls for Öcalan’s freedom
KDP leader Masoud Barzani expressed support for Turkey’s new peace process and called for Öcalan’s release.
“I hope Abdullah Öcalan will be freed soon. We support the peace and resolution process in Turkey. Peace is the only path to solving these issues. I also hope the suffering of Kurds in Syria ends quickly,” Barzani said.
YNK leader Bafel Talabani's message read, “On this Kurdish Newroz, which coincides with the resistance in Kirkuk, the Jerusalem of Kurdistan,I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the people of Kurdistan, wishing everyone peace, comfort, and happiness. Newroz is a message of renewal, unity, solidarity, and fraternity in the Kurdish struggle for freedom and independence.
"May this Newroz inspire peace, organization, and support for the Kurdish cause everywhere. The Kurdish people are a people who deserve an honorable life. Let us join hands for lasting peace and work toward the victory of Kurdistan. May your Newroz be blessed, joyful, and proud.”
Özel: ‘No tyrant could ever break our unity’
In his message, CHP leader Özgür Özel emphasized unity and shared struggle: “Dear people of Diyarbakır, my beloved brothers and sisters. As we celebrate Newroz, the harbinger of spring, we continue to resist the tyrants of our time, like the legendary Dehak. These ancient lands are a cradle of coexistence, where different cultures, languages, and faiths thrive together in solidarity and hope. No oppressor, no Dehak, has ever broken our brotherhood, and none ever will.
"We are committed to building a country where no one feels excluded, where everyone lives with equal rights in peace. Guided by our belief in democracy, justice, and freedom, we will together create a Turkey where all are equal citizens. May the warmth of Newroz, like today’s fire, illuminate our hearts and strengthen our hopes for the future. With these sentiments, I wish all my brothers and sisters in Diyarbakır a happy Newroz. Newroz pîroz be!” (ED/TY/VK)
Çalışmalarını ağırlıklı olarak Diyarbakır ve çevresindeki Kürt illerinde sürdürmektedir. Meslek hayatında, Gazete Duvar, MLSA, 5Harfliler, Kadın İşçi, 9. Köy ve Fikir Gazetesi gibi pek çok...
Çalışmalarını ağırlıklı olarak Diyarbakır ve çevresindeki Kürt illerinde sürdürmektedir. Meslek hayatında, Gazete Duvar, MLSA, 5Harfliler, Kadın İşçi, 9. Köy ve Fikir Gazetesi gibi pek çok platformda haberleriyle yer aldı. Dicle Fırat Gazeteciler Derneği'nde (DFG) medya ve basın sorumlusu olarak görev aldı. Bağımsız gazetecilik anlayışını benimseyen Evrim Deniz, kadın emeği, insan hakları ve toplumsal adalet gibi konulara odaklanmaktadır. Şu anda Bianet’in Diyarbakır muhabiri olarak görev yapmaktadır.
The mother sat next to two empty bowls, bereft of life, not moving in the small area of green encircled by flats. A place we call paradise in this concrete jungle.
I went down and tried to comfort her, though separated by species, she knew what I meant. But it wasn’t always like this…
As winter moved in at the tail end of last year, the dog now lying below me with only 3 paws, the other blown off by hateful zealots, was brought to our patch, followed by her three puppies.
Each day they would dance in the field and in our hearts. People in the area came to life, in minutes a home was built for them, so good one half expected it to have central heating.
The father was brought from the village and we had our family, completed now with a half-sister puppy.
They loved each other and we loved them. And then, someone passed by, foreign to these parts. Looked out of their car window, phoned, and in the morning, they were gone.
Everyone’s faces were bowed down, the children glanced over with tears in their eyes. “Where have they gone?”
As the weeks passed the grass grew over “their patch.”
Until one day at the dead of night a lorry opened and the pitter patter of paws could be heard once again. (DM/VK)
David R. Mellor is from Liverpool, England. He spent his late teens homeless on Merseyside. He is currently writing and performing in Turkey. His work...
David R. Mellor is from Liverpool, England. He spent his late teens homeless on Merseyside. He is currently writing and performing in Turkey. His work has been featured by the BBC and the Tate, and his published collections of poetry are What a Catch (2013), Some Body (2013), Express Nothing (2019) and So This Is It (2020). His collection of stories An Englishman in Turkey – Türkiye’de Bir İngiliz is recently published in Turkish.
