Bitlis- The curfew, which was declared in 10 villages and hamlets in the Hizan district of Bitlis province on July 2, lasted for five days. During the curfew, hundreds of hazelnut and fruit trees were uprooted.

Mehmet Saki Altun, a resident of the Xûlepûr village of Hizan, told us that his hazelnuts and hundreds of fruit trees were uprooted by excavators. He also said that dozens of construction machines were brought to the village during the curfew and added:

“After the curfew was declared, my uncle’s house was raided. After the house raid, they brought excavators and enrooted hundreds of our fruit trees. They razed 30 acres of land to the ground in seconds. A committee should come to the village and investigate the incident. The world should see this insult and this cruelty. These trees are our only source of income. Their only aim is to destroy nature and us.”

‘They aim is to depopulate the region’

“Their aim is to depopulate the region,” added Mehmet Saki Altun. “They uprooted our 100, 80, 70-year-old trees to build a road. But there are two roads near the fruit orchard. They uprooted our walnut, hazelnut and apple trees.”

Mehmet Saki Altun told us that he would file a criminal complaint.