'Forests in Dersim are burned consciously, this is official policy'

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Held in the Edirne Prison for nearly five years despite the ECtHR and Constitutional Court rulings, former Co-Chair of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Selahattin Demirtaş has made a statement about the forest fires raging in Turkey's eastern province of Dersim.

In a series of tweets that have been shared with the public through his attorneys, Selahattin Demirtaş has said: "The reason for not putting out the forest fires in Dersim is not inefficacy. Most of the forests in that region are burned consciously and no one is allowed to intervene in. This is a conscious and official policy that has been in effect for decades.

"Everyone knows this truth, but no one unfortunately dares to say it. Forests are burned on the same grounds Dersim was bombed in 1938."

Further in his statement, Demirtaş has added:

"As was in the case of Milas, Marmaris and Manavgat [fires], my heart beats with our people in Dersim, [Van's] Başkale and [Hakkari's] Şemdinli, who have been discriminated against even during a disaster.

"We will definitely put an end to these discriminatory policies that divide the country and people. In order to do this, everyone who wants democracy and peace must join hands and stand side by side. Just as Manavgat belongs to us all, Dersim belongs to us all as well. We cannot bring equality, justice and peace to this country until we make sure that this mentality prevails." (DŞ/SD)