DÊRSIM - Participants in the Munzur Festival drew attention to the plunder of nature and said: “All people should unite against the plunder of nature. Because nature is necessary for everyone.” 

 

The 22nd Munzur Culture and Nature Festival, organized in Dêrsim (Tunceli) this year, continues with various activities. The festival, organized with the slogan “We will not allow the usurpation of our nature and will”, drew attention to the plunder of Kurdistan's geography. The participants of the festival gave a message of struggle against the ongoing plunder of nature through Hydroelectric Power Plants (HES), Geothermal Energy Plants (GES), fires and tree felling.

 

Zehra Kılıç, who participated in the festival from Antalya, stated that Dêrsim is wanted to be destroyed and said: “There is a ruthless hostility against our environment. Even though our young people leave this place, we retired people will come back and guard this place and we will not give it to anyone. Dêrsim is ours, we are against the plunder of nature.” 

 

'WE DEFEND THE RIGHT TO LIFE'

 

Ali Şeker, who attended the festival from Êrzingan (Erzincan), said that they defend the right to life of all living things. “According to us, there is nothing inanimate. Trees, stones and nature are all alive. As we defend everyone's right to life, we also defend the right to life of animals, nature and the environment. Êrzingan, Dêrsim, Çewlîg are today. We want our geography and nature to remain as it is” he said. 

 

'20 PERCENT OF SPECIES DESTROYED'

 

Writer Metin Aktaş, one of the participants of the festival, pointed out that there has been a serious plunder of nature in Kurdistan in the last 10 years. He said that there have been many fires close to his village of Mankirik (Çayüstü) in Pulur (Ovacık), but the authorities have not extinguished the fires and have not allowed people to do so. Stating that not only a tree but also the life there was burned in the fire, Aktaş said: “Until today, mankind has not been able to develop a philosophy based on the continuation of life in nature. Because the existence of living creatures living together with the human species has never been so endangered. In the last 200 years, almost 20 percent of the living species on earth have been destroyed. It is necessary to develop beliefs, thoughts and philosophical movements that legitimize the possibility of coexistence of all living beings.”

 

'THE DESTRUCTION CREATED LEADS TO DESTRUCTION'

 

Burhan Gündoğan said that many areas are being destroyed by forest fires, mining, roads and fortresses, and that the fight against this is everyone's responsibility. Gündoğan said: “Because this is a matter of conscience and heritage. Our children and grandchildren will live here after us. We need to leave them a healthy area. There is a massacre everywhere. Today, people have won a victory over nature, but this victory is leading to a great destruction. The end of this is very dangerous.” 

 

Pointing out the importance of the struggle against the massacre of nature, Haydar Aytaç said: “We cannot live in a clean nature without water, trees and forests. This work has no opinion, no left or right, and no institution. All people should unite against the plunder of nature. Because nature is necessary for everyone.”