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Sat, 12. Aug 2006
Human Rights Association applies to Ministry of Environment and Forestry as
nothing is done to stop spreading forest fire in southeast Bingol province.
IHD Bingol Branch Secretary Lawyer Ishakogulu says suspicions focus on state
forces starting the fire.
Human Rights Association (IHD) Bingol Branch Secretary lawyer Cevat
Ishakogulu has said that a forest fire that started in the province four
days ago was still continuing with no intervention on part of officials to
control or stop it.
The IHD Bingol branch on Thursday made a formal application to the Ministry
of Environment and Forestry asking both for action to be taken to stop the
spreading fire and for any officials who might have neglected their duty to
be investigated.
Ishakogulu said that while forest cutting was continuing in the region due
to security reasons, our opinion that this fire which is now endangering
many villages was started for security reasons is getting stronger.
IHD Bingol issued a written statement on the issue where it said the fire
that started near the Doganli village of Bingols Genc township four days
ago had already destroyed a major part of the forest areas between the
villages of Doganli, Dedebag and Camliyurt.
Although applications were made on Tuesday by the IHD provincial branch to
the Bingol Governors Office, the Genc Local Governors Office, the Genc
Forestry Directorate and the Elazig Forestry Directorate, no answer was
received, Ishakogulu explained.
"While they have not intervened until today, they have not given any answer
to our association either. Because of this, we have today made an
application to the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.
Ishakogulu added that as the fire was not only continuing but also
spreading, thre were genuine concerns for the villages and their habitants
in the forest areas.
He noted that this fire was exactly in the same area where in 2003 a forest
fire had remained ablaze for a whole ten days and said this raised some
questions.
A spreading fire
NGOs believe the fire may be related to the forest cutting operation that
has been underway in Bingol since Spring with the primary target of
cleaning wooded tracts and bushes 50 meters either side of the railway line
and the highway as part of security measures imposed in Turkeys war on the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Last month, bianet had reported on a similar forest fire in Sirnak's Cudi
Mountain, with local journalist Kerem Celik blaming the local Ikizce
Commando Battalion for setting the fire on grounds of security.
Celik told bianet in relation to the Cudi fire then that the first fire was
set off with a small area in the military field, around the (Ikizce Commando
Battalion) station being set on fire for reasons of security. But the fire
could not be controlled and it spread.
He added that as the fire was in a military zone, outside interference was
not possible and said according to our observation, the soldiers took no
observable measures to prevent the fire from spreading.