Forest fires have continued to rage on Mount Cudi in Turkey for almost three months. Forest fires in areas near the villages of Cevizdüzü (Cifane), Dağkonak (Nerex), Kemer (Gilindor), Üçkiraz (Nêvava), Kavalı (Gundikê Spîndarûkê), and Toptepe (Avgamasya) continue but there have been no attempts by the authorities to extinguish these fires.
Hundreds of trees and extensive wildlife habitats have been destroyed as animals have died.
Women living in the village of Toptepe (Avgamasya) in Şırnak (Şirnex) have expressed their outrage that the authorities are not doing anything to extinguish the fires. As a result, many find it hard to continue living in their villages.
Asya Güngen from Toptepe says they cannot practice animal husbandry in the region anymore. There are few ways to make a living, so people in the region have a real struggle ahead of them because of the lack of action to stop the raging fires.
“Everyone is silent about these fires. It is a shame for humanity”, said Güngen.
Fatma Aksak, another villager from the region, also noted that apiculture (beekeeping) is the main economic means of survival in her region. However, since all the trees are burning, they cannot maintain their hives.
Aksak asserts that the authorities make no attempt to extinguish the fires and do not allow the villagers to extinguish them either. She says: “We could at least save a tree”.
For Beşire Katar: “Mount Cudi is sacred for the people who live there”.
She claims that people are silent in general about these fires “because Kurds live here. If these fires were happening in the West, everybody would do something. But they are silent for the East”.
