Are The Forests Fires In Eastern And Southeastern Turkey Set Intentionally?

Hamit Geylani, Hakkari deputy for the Democratic Society Party (DTP), has submitted a question motion about the forest fires in the southeastern Turkey, which he claims are used in the fight against terror. He directed his question to Minister of Environment and Forestry Veysel Eroğlu.

“They are being burned for the operations”

Geylani says, in his motion, that most of the forested regions in the area have been destroyed by fires that arise because of  the clashes in the eastern and southeastern Turkey over the years.

“Nobody interferes in the forest fires”

Geylani says, “What is worse is they do not interfere, they simple watch them burn. The same sensitivity that is shown for the forest fires in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions of the country should be shown for the ones in the eastern and southeastern regions.”

Geylani’s questions are briefly as follows:

- How many hectares of forests have been destroyed in eastern and southeastern regions between 1990 and 2008? Do you have some ideas about the causes of these fires?

- What do you know about the allegation that the forest fires in the region are being set by the security forces?

- Do you have information about the forests burned by the military operations up until today?

- Why nobody tries to put out these fires? Why the authorities watch them burn?

- Why no legal actions are taken against those who burn these forests?

- Are certain regions discriminated when it comes to the forest fires?

- Are the authorities trying to reforest these areas destroyed by fires? If yes, then how much reforesting have been done?

- Will you do anything about the land going bad in the eastern and southeastern Turkey? (EÇ/EZÖ/EÜ/TB)