"450+ tons of timber are daily cut from Başûr forests, sold in markets "

The Turkish state, through its attacks this time, not only targets people, but also commits a crime against the environment and nature of Başûr Kurdistan: statistics and figures reveal the extent of Turkey’s arrogance and hostility to the Kurdish people.

Systematic destruction of the nature of Kurdistan

In this regard, Tarifa Faridon, a relations officer in the Kurdistan Environment Organization, says, "For decades, colonial plans by the Turkish fascist state have continued to occupy Kurdistan lands in an effort to restore the Ottoman Empire, and these attempts continue to this day by establishing more than forty Turkish military bases in the lands of Başûr Kurdistan, and the bombing continues with all kinds of heavy weapons.”

Regarding Turkey’s goal, Tarifa pointed out, “The goal is not only to occupy the lands of Başûr Kurdistan, but also to destroy the infrastructure and environment in the region.” She added, “These wars waged by the Turkish state on the lands of Southern Kurdistan target not only people, but the environment as well. Weapons used in wars also lead to soil and water pollution, which causes environmental pollution and leads to the death of plant organisms and thus the destruction of the environment.”

Tarifa mentioned some practices of the Turkish occupation army against the geography of Başûr Kurdistan, “Back to 1992 and to this day, Turkey aims to destroy the geography of Southern Kurdistan by bombing its lands with aircraft, which in turn led to the martyrdom of thousands of Kurdish citizens and HPG fighters, and also led to burning large spans of forests in Southern Kurdistan.

“Thousands of aerial and ground bombardments launched on Başûr”

Tarifa Faridon mentioned statistics of Turkish bombing operations, “Back to 2015 and until late 2019, the Turkish occupation has bombed more than 698 times the lands of Başûr Kurdistan with warplanes, while artillery and heavy weapons were used 555 times, and in 2020, the occupation aircraft bombed more than 1,300 times, and more than 120 times with artillery and heavy weapons, thus it has targeted more than 300 villages.

Tarifa confirmed, "The weapons that are used by the Turkish occupation army, including mortars and F-16 planes, contain chemicals, which are basically prohibited internationally, and said:" The use of these weapons harmed the environment and led to the burning of vast green spaces, and led to the death of a number of people; in addition to that, a large number of wild animals and birds and the extinction of many animal species

“450+ tons of timber are daily exported from Başûr forests”

Tarifa revealed the details of "Turkey's deal with the government of Başûr Kurdistan to build logging plants and prepare them for export to Turkish lands: as more than 450 tons of timber are exported per day that are cut from the Başûr forests and sold in the markets."

She added, "Not only these Turkish violations do affect the geography of Başûr Kurdistan, but also this phenomenon is repeated in the Turkey-occupied areas in Syria: Turkey has cut down more than 314,400 olive trees, and burned more than 11 thousand hectares of agricultural land, "These statistics are accurate, the Kurdistan Environmental Organization was able to obtain."

Tarifa confirmed that environmental crimes are included in the list of war crimes in accordance with international conventions, and the perpetrators of these crimes must be held accountable, and noted: “Article 35 of the Iraqi constitution stipulates the need to preserve and protect the environment, so the Iraqi government should have called on governments and international organizations to intervene and stand in the way Turkish state crimes.

The Iraqi government has not yet broken its silence, which gave Turkey the opportunity to commit more violations. The Kurdistan Environment Organization’s relations officer, Tarifa Faridon, said, “The attacks and crimes are carried out with the approval of the Iraqi government and the government of Başûr Kurdistan; therefore, all Kurds must stand united in the face of the violations of the Turkish occupation.”

“Turkey aims to dismember Kurdistan”

Bahra Abdullah Mahmoud, a lawyer and administrator in the Kurdistan Environmental Organization in the city of Sulaymaniyah, says Turkey has not only committed such crimes, but also committed massacres against the environment through the use of chemical weapons. She explained: "Cutting down trees has a negative impact on human life as well as it undermines livelihoods in this region.” She added, “Because cutting down trees and using chemical weapons have a negative impact on water and soil, making it difficult for humans and all living creatures to survive in such an environment.

Bahra believes that Turkey's crimes are systematic, "Turkey aims to sever the connection and relations between all parts of Kurdistan, for example, what happened in Western Kurdistan when the Syrian government changed the demographics of the region and brought Arabs to the Kurdish areas, thus severing relations between the Rojava Kurds and the Bakur Kurdistan, today it is carrying out the same practices to sever Başûr from Bakur Kurdistan.

In turn, journalist Shaswar Mami explained that the occupation army expanded about 40 kilometers in the Bahdinan area in Başûr Kurdistan, and many military points were set up, according to official media, in the meantime, it shows that Turkey has changed its tactics of war by directing its policy towards extermination of nature, and the locals in the area are witness to that.

Mami explained that Turkey claims that its goal of these attacks is to fight the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and not the Kurds, and the government of Başûr led by the Kurdistan Democratic Party repeats this saying, and thus the government of Başûr Kurdistan legitimizes the attacks of the Turkish occupation, and he stated, “In addition, the Baghdad government’s vague position on the attacks clearly indicate that Turkey obtained the prior approval of the two governments."

“Attacks on Başûr Kurdistan are in their core occupational; aim to settle Turkey's mercenaries”

Shaswar Mami revealed that the political parties in Başûr Kurdistan live in a state of contradiction among themselves, and said: "The political and economic differences between the Baghdad and Erbil governments caused them to not issue a common position regarding Turkey's attacks."

The journalist Shaswar stressed, "These attacks on the lands of Başûr Kurdistan aim to occupy its territories and settle Turkey's mercenaries in those areas, thus striking the independence of Başûr Kurdistan."

J.O

ANHA