In the village of Mizak in the Lice district of Amed (tr. Diyarbakır), Kurdish women blocked access for excavators on Sunday to protest against planned copper mining operations. With walking sticks and a sit-in blockade, they stood in the way of the machines – out of concern for their natural environment and with the determination “not to lose their village for the eighth time.”
The women pointed to the long history of the destruction of their village, including during the Turkish state terror of the 1990s: “Our village was burned down or destroyed seven times, and seven times we rebuilt it. What do you want from our nature? We won’t allow it,” shouted one of the protesting residents, who sent a clear message: ”No mining, no deforestation, no more interference in our lives.”
When an excavator operator tried to talk to the protesters, he said, “I’m from here myself, it’s not my decision.” But the women’s response was swift: “They’re fooling you too. But we know what’s going on here. We are protecting our land.” The women then sat down on the ground in the planned excavation area, preventing work from starting. “We won’t let anyone dig in our village,” they said. The blockade continues, accompanied by demands for an immediate halt to the project.
The protests are against a big copper mine project that’s been causing tension for years. Back in 2020, the authorities put out a controversial report saying that an environmental impact assessment wasn’t needed. Soon after, thousands of trees were cut down in the area. As resistance grew, a court ordered an initial site visit. A corresponding expert opinion was prepared on December 10, 2024. Due to objections from the population, the proceedings were reopened. At the end of June, a new team of experts conducted another inspection and also heard the villagers, but a verdict is still pending. However, the women of Mizak are determined not to give up their nature.
Source: ANF News
