Ecology organizations and bar association file complaint over tree massacre in Diyarbakır Kulp

In the rural areas of Eskar and Beyrok neighbourhoods near the foothills of Dorşin Mountain in Diyarbakır’s Kulp district, tree cutting in forested areas has gained serious momentum recently. According to information based on local sources, the amount of cutting in the region has increased approximately four-fold, rising from two trucks per day to eight trucks. This situation has raised concerns about the disruption of the natural balance and ecological structure in the region, and non-governmental organizations and professional organizations have not remained silent in the face of these developments. Diyarbakır Ecology Assembly and Diyarbakır Bar Association City and Environment Commission have decided to initiate legal and administrative processes by taking action regarding the issue.

Organizations fighting against the said cutting have made an official criminal complaint to the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, calling on authorities to fulfill their duties. In the criminal complaint, while it was requested that the individuals cutting the trees be identified and necessary penal proceedings be carried out against them, it was also requested that an administrative investigation be initiated against the Kulp Forest Enterprise Directorate, which permitted these cuttings. In the petition criticizing the current situation, it was claimed that Diyarbakır Forest Enterprise Directorate failed to fulfill its responsibility and did not make an effort to prevent this massacre. Furthermore, the petition stated that officials used the “tree rejuvenation” process as a pretext for the massacre of trees in a way that they would never green again, and that this situation could be clearly seen with inspections at the scene.

In the legal grounds included in the application, Article 169 of the Constitution was recalled, emphasizing the State's obligation to take necessary measures to protect forests and expand their areas. According to the constitutional provision, no activity that could harm forests will be allowed, and it was stated that crimes aimed at destroying forests cannot be covered by general or special amnesty, thus revealing the legal dimension of the situation. Life defenders and lawyers also submitted written petitions titled “Access to Information” and “Performance of Duty” to the Kulp Forest Enterprise Directorate, officially declaring that they would follow the issue.

In the petitions submitted by the civil initiative, it was alleged that thousands of trees are cut in the region every day and these operations are carried out officially under the name of “rejuvenation”. However, it was stated that there is a huge gap between the statements of officials and the reality on the ground, and the images from the area prove that the trees were cut in a way that leaves no chance of survival. In this context, the determinations that the activity carried out under the name of “rejuvenation” is actually a slaughter operation and that the natural habitat is permanently destroyed remain. These developments have caused reactions from both the local people and environmental protection organizations, while the legal and ecological dimensions of the incident continue to create wide repercussions.