Forest fire in Dersim: Mayors prevented from entering the site

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A forest fire broke out following an armed conflict in the Ali Boğaz area in Hozat district in Turkey's eastern province of Dersim.

On their way to the region for firefighting efforts, a group of people, including Dersim Mayor Fatih Maçoğlu, Dersim Associations Federation (DEDEF) Chair Ali Haydar Ben, Republican People's Party (CHP) MPs Polat Şaroğlu, Adnan Arslan, Hüseyin Yıldız, Nihat Yeşil and Abdurrahöan Tutdere, Çiğli Mayor Utku Gümrükçü, Hozat Mayor Seyfi Geyik and Ovacık Mayor Mustafa Sarıgül, were prevented from entering the site by police barricades.

Maçoğlu: Governor doesn't allow us to intervene

Speaking to bianet yesterday (August 1), Dersim Mayor Maçoğlu said that "the police did not allow them to enter the site upon the instruction of the Governor." Sharing information about their efforts, Maçoğlu said:

"We sent our teams to Manavgat [in Antalya] for support, but our teams are not allowed to enter our own fire-hit area.

"The natural riches of this country are burning, the forests of our homeland are burning, but we, as the local administrators of this region, cannot go to the area ravaged by the fire."

Hozat Belediyesi'nin yapmış olduğu çağrı üzerine şuan Hozat girisindeyiz ve bir müdahale ile karşı karşıyayız. Tek derdimiz doğamız. Özel güvenlik gerekçe gösterilerek müdahale edilmesini doğru bulmuyoruz.

Tüm halkımızı doğamızı sahiplenmeye çağırıyoruz. pic.twitter.com/PgsOiG5rDY

— Fatih Mehmet Maçoğlu (@FatihMacoglu) August 1, 2021

'Allow our teams to enter the site'

Dersim Mayor Maçoğlu also said:

"We are not let in upon the instruction of Mr. Governor. We do not know how much area has burned, but we can see the smoke, albeit partially, from the Aliboğaz area's forestland and central Hozat during the day.

"There are villages and people who go to the highlands in that region. Our hearts are razed. We expect sensitivity from everyone.

"I am calling the Mr. Governor, but I cannot reach him. The municipality has its specialized teams. I am calling out to him: Don't hinder our teams from going to the area."

Governor: Teams are working

Speaking to bianet, Governor Mehmet Ali Özkan said that the cooling-off efforts were still ongoing, adding, "The allegations that the fire erupted as a result of the fire opened from the helicopter are not true."

In response to our question as to "why the mayors and citizens who wanted to go to the area to put out the fire were prevented from doing so", the Governor said, "The teams are working."

When we called Hozat Sub-Governor Cuma Emeç to get information about the issue, he did not want to speak, saying that "he was busy." (RT/SD)