AMED - Drewing attention to the destruction of trees in Hevsel Gardens, which is on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List, Director of Amed(Diyarbakır) Ecology Association Murat Bilgiç said: "Hevsel is plundered with the support of trustees. Hevsel should be protected because it is the memory of the society."

 

Hevsel Gardens and the Tigris River basin, which are on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List, were put into service for the tenants with the permission of the trustee, while they were opened piecemeal. Many ecological associations, non-governmental organizations and ecological activists protested the looting and genocide and called for an end to these actions. Murat Bilgiç, Member of the Board of Amed Ecology Association, said that Hevsel and Tigris Rivers were looted by trustees appointed to metropolitan and district municipalities.

 

'THE TRUSTEE DOES NOT WANT THE WELFARE OF PEOPLE'

 

Stating that the trustee does not want the welfare of these people, Bilgiç said: "The trustee does business with instructions. The trustee and his dependents did what happened to Hevsel. They have a duty of protection, but they use it to harm. Havsel is the homeland of all Amed(Diyarbakır). It is a part of Amed's ecology. It is known to be a special place not only for Diyarbakır, but for the whole world that UNESCO has taken under protection. We do not know what happened after this recording, but a large-scale plunder was started. The trustee should prevent this, but he will cause this plundering to be excessive and accelerated. Support comes out. Cafes open and he turns a blind eye to them. Those gardens, where no one can even touch a tree, lose their properties and no one asks why they do this. And when we ask, they do not answer us. After the collapse of the Wall, Hevsel was plundered under the name of 'Nation Garden'. In order for it to come to an end, we must first get rid of its trustee.”

 

THE DAMAGING ECOLOGY MUST BE PREVENTED 

 

In the next few years, Hevsel will be removed from the UNESCO Heritage list and after that, it will be opened to construction and rent. These works are done to damage the ecological system more easily. It has not been opened for development by law, but has been opened for development in practice. Dozens of cafes and different places were opened. Who is opening these places? Who connects the water and electricity there? We must try to prevent this and regain what we have lost.”

 

‘THEY WANT TO DESTROY THE MEMORY OF THE SOCIETY’

 

Emphasizing the place of the region in the social memory, Bilgiç said: “Most importantly, they are destroying the basin of the society. When the memory of the society is destroyed, the relations of the society with each other weaken, so the attack is on the memory of the society. They push society to be without memory and feeling. When those memories go, the emotions go with them. If they do, they will have achieved their goal. It is the memory and existence of this community in Sur in Havsel. The spirit and roots of this society depend on them. Therefore, the protection of Hevsel is not only valid for the world heritage, but also for our memory. We have been growing with these memories for thousands of years and we will continue with them for thousands of years. The trustee came by force, we will send them even by force. But we will not forget what they have done and we will not let them forget. "They wanted and want to destroy our memory, but we will return what they attacked and destroyed."

 

'LET'S PLANT A TREE IN FRONT OF EVERY DOOR'

 

Calling for support for the people to plant trees, Bilgiç concluded his words as follows: "The destruction of trees in Kurdistan has reached very high levels. They are destroying our forests from Cudi to Dersim, from Çewlig to Muş. It carried out a tree planting campaign with the motto 'Plant trees for freedom.' This year, between 1-10 April, they started a tree planting campaign with the motto 'Take care of life with a sapling'. It was also dedicated to those who lost their lives in the earthquake. As an Ecology Association, we participate in this campaign. Non-Governmental Organizations, patriots, volunteers, pro-life, political parties and everyone, let's plant a tree on every door in the street, in the village, in the city and make life green.”