“As our forests disappear, our future will disappear”

Forest fires in Turkey in summer damage nature. The local people are not allowed to put out fires by security forces. Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Ecology Commission Co-Spokesperson Menekşe Kızıldere pointed out that as our forests disappear, our future will disappear, “The loss of a bird, a turtle is not just a loss of life, it is a great loss. All lives are precious. They have the right to exist,” she said.

MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

News Center - Forest fires in cities such as Diyarbakır, Bingöl, Mardin, Şırnak and in some provinces in the west of Turkey damage the ecological structure. Every year, forest fires damage thousands of hectares of areas and kill hundreds of living creatures. Recently, a forest fire was broke out in Bingöl and continued for days. Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Ecology Commission Co-Spokesperson Menekşe Kızıldere pointed out that the forest fires serve the capital and the state. “Those who started these fires and remained silent have committed a crime against humanity,” she said.

“A crime against humanity”

Menekşe Kızıldere has received news of forest fires all over the country, particularly in summer. She said that few of the forest fires broke out due to natural causes. “Mining, energy, and construction companies set fire to forests because the forests are seen as war means. Every burning tree is an ecological asset and all citizens are right holders. Each forest fire usurps the rights of citizens and the right of future generations to live in a healthy environment. The climate crisis is occurring faster, the most effective fight against it is the expansion and improvement of forests. Burning a forest and remaining silent while such a disaster is almost a crime against humanity.

“Forest fires turn into usurpation of rights”

Menekşe Kızıldere talked about the forest fires break out in the Kurdish region. “Forest fires break out systematically in Cudi, Ömerli, Bingöl, Dersim, and other Kurdish provinces and no one tries to put out these fires. When the villagers try to put out the fires, they are not allowed. The firefighting equipment used in the west is not used in the region. The tradition of depopulation continues to turn nature into a weapon of war. Using the forests as war means has turned into a very serious usurpation of rights for the Kurdish provinces.

“As our forests disappear, our future will disappear”

Menekşe Kızıldere noted that all living creatures have the right to exist and continue their existence. “Living creatures exist not just for human benefit. Human beings are just a part of nature. They are not the masters of nature. Everything is interconnected. The loss of a bird, a turtle is not just a loss of life, it is a great loss. All lives are precious. As our forests disappear, our future will disappear.”