Artvin villagers detained for opposing touristic facility project

Two villagers in the Black Sea province of Artvin, northeastern Turkey, were detained on Sunday for taking part in a demonstration by local groups against a planned tourism facility near the Çifteköprü village .

After villagers noticed that some trees were stamped in the Cankurtaran area, the planned location of the project, they staged a protest against possible tree felling. The protest was organized by the Çifteköprü Agricultural Development Cooperative and Cankurtaran Defense groups under the slogan "Take your axe and come, let's remove the stamps.”

The project is officially declared a “recreational area with accommodation” and viewed as a threat to the forests by locals.

Hours later, law enforcement officials detained Dursun Ali Koyuncu and Ali Şükrü Kibar. They were released after giving a statement to the prosecutors' office.

"This institution is corrupt"

After their release, the two individuals spoke to reporters outside the Forest Management Directorate of the Borkça district. Koyuncu said, they were detained despite informing the directorate about the protest in advance. 

“The institution behind us, the Borçka Forest Management Directorate, allows anyone with money in their pocket to cut down forests as they please. This institution is corrupt. We have filed complaints against them," he remarked. 

“From now on, any problems that arise are the responsibility of the project manager and the contractor Yunus Merttürk, as well as the Artvin Regional Forest Directorate. We have repeatedly said that the villagers do not want this project. Despite this, the institution has protected Yunus Merttürk and tailored the tender specifically for him. We said we would not allow the trees to be cut, we told them not to come, but they did not listen. 

“Çiftepınar neighborhood is against this project, yet they persistently try to enter the area. We will not allow it. Cutting these trees is the greatest betrayal to our country." (VC/VK)