In the Hesandin plateau in the Kulp district of Amed (tr: Diyarbakır), the people’s resistance to illegal mining activities continues. The Ecology Association in Amed held a rally on site today and once again demanded an immediate halt to the work with a banner reading: “Our nature is our existence – we will not give it up.”
Sabri Kılıç, spokesperson for the Ecology Association, recalled that Kulp was depopulated in the 1990s through military evictions. Today, he said, a new form of displacement is taking place—no longer with weapons, but through corporations and economic interests. “The nature, culture, and livelihoods of the people are under attack. The population is once again being forced to abandon their homeland.”
Kılıç pointed out that the planned mining operations will affect not only Hesandin, but also other parts of Kulp, as well as areas in Lice, Silvan, and the Şen plateau. “Groundwater will be polluted, fertile soil destroyed, and toxic substances will enter the air and water. Agricultural and grazing land will be lost. People will be forced out of production and into consumerism.”
Kılıç spoke of a deliberate ecological war of annihilation against Kurdistan and its people: “At a time when there is talk of political rapprochement and a peace process, such interventions are particularly disastrous. Those who remain silent today will have to answer for their actions tomorrow. The damage being done to nature is irreversible and affects not only Kurdistan, but the entire region.”
Peace means more than the silence of weapons, Kılıç continued. “True peace can only come about when nature, animals, and all living beings live in freedom. As long as the mountains, valleys, and plateaus of Kurdistan are not allowed to rest, there will be no lasting peace in society.”
In conclusion, Kılıç sent a clear message to companies involved in exploitation and to political decision-makers: “Get your hands off our land and our living spaces immediately.”
Source: ANF News
