For five years now, illegal deforestation has been taking place in the Gabar, Cûdî, and Cilênimêja mountain ranges and in the Besta, Komatê, and Qaşuran regions of the Kurdish province of Şırnak. The deforestation is carried out under the supervision of the Turkish gendarmerie and mainly by so-called security guards (formerly “village guards”). The affected areas are declared “special security zones,” which prohibits access to the civilian population, while village guards and persons cooperating with them can enter the regions accompanied by military personnel.
Parliamentary inquiry
DEM Party MP Newroz Uysal Aslan brought the issue before Parliament in May and demanded a response from Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya. Aslan questioned those responsible for the clearings and wanted to know to what extent state authorities were involved in the proceedings. She also asked questions about the decisions to establish the alleged security zones and the possible involvement of companies that are allowed access to these areas.
“Who is responsible for the deforestation? Have these areas been officially declared security zones? Which government agencies and companies are involved in carrying out the clearing?” asked Uysal Aslan in her motion. The politician criticized the fact that the gendarmerie and village guards were actively involved in the deforestation.
Ministry of the Interior responds with brief statement
The minister responded to the request two months later with a brief statement saying that the matter did not fall within the remit of the Ministry of the Interior. This response was met with fierce criticism. In a new communication to the parliamentary speaker’s Office, Newroz Uysal Aslan called for a reexamination of the request. She accused the government of shirking its responsibility and ignoring the deforestation in the affected areas. “Those who turn forests into profit zones must also take responsibility for the destruction of nature,” she said.
Criticism of the Interior Ministry’s response
The MP pointed out that the Interior Ministry was indeed responsible for implementing security measures in the affected areas, including the gendarmerie and village guards. She emphasized that the ministry’s response had no legal basis and that the questions remained unanswered. “It is a violation of Parliament’s right of scrutiny if these questions remain unanswered,” she said.
The DEM Party deputy emphasized that the ministry was aware of the security restrictions and the role of companies in the restricted areas and recalled the constitutional obligation to report to parliament.
Source: ANF News
