ARJİN DİLEK ÖNCEL

Amed- The emergence of industrial capitalism and the deterioration in the relationship between “nature-society” started a process that led to disasters such as climate change, wildfires, floods, biodiversity loss, soil pollution and melting glaciers. Over time, this process led to ecological/environmental disasters so that many began to say, “Nature is taking its revenge on us.”

In order to protect our planet, ecological organizations fight against the ecological destruction caused by many factors such as hydro power plants (HPP) and solar power plants (SPP), the embodiment of capitalism on nature, urban transformations, commodification of water, mining activities, weapons, industrial waste, plastic waste exported to third world countries, greenhouse gas emissions and carbon emission trading.

Kaz Mountains and Akbelen Forest

In recent years, the main agenda of ecological movements and organizations has been the licenses issued for mining operations in the Kaz Mountains, located the northwestern province of Çanakkale, and in Akbelen Forest, located in the İkizköy village of Muğla’s Milas district.

While these have been happening in the west of Türkiye, the nature of Kurdistan is also at risk due to mining companies and the state using “security” reasons to destroy nature.

Dams and ‘security’ reasons in Kurdistan

The Springs of Munzur in Dersim were zoned for construction and there was an attempt to build a hotel there. In 2020, the Ilısu Dam caused the flooding of the majority of the 10,000-year-old town of Hasankeyf. On October 8, 2020, tree cutting began in the Cudi and Besta regions of Şırnak for “security” reasons. Eight percent of the green areas in the regions were destroyed in just two years.

Dams and ‘security’ reasons continue to destroy nature in Northern Kurdistan.

NuJINHA spoke to ecologist Melis Tantan about the recent destruction of nature and the “Call for Peace and Dmocratic Society” made by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan on February 27, 2025.

‘Conflict and wars cause ecocide’

Melis Tantan thinks that the call is important because “the conflict that has been going on in this region for decades has caused great destruction. Conflict and wars cause ecocide.” Melis Tantan also commented on the policies of war in Kurdistan.

“For decades, Kurdistan has been bombed and looted, the people have been displaced from their villages. Many regions have been depopulated because of ‘security’ policies. Therefore, this call is very important for saving nature after decades. The policy of ‘ecocide’ means irreversible destruction of nature.”

The “Call for Peace and Democratic Society” has also revealed the need for a more effective ecological policy, Melis Tantan noted, stressing that a possible peace process “can be the beginning for ecological organizations in the west (of Türkiye) and Kurdistan to unite and fight ecological destruction. Every day, the Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change releases dozens of statements saying that EIA reports are unnecessary. The coming period will be a period in which we will face more looting and plundering of the Kurdistan region. Therefore, we must struggle more to protect our nature.”