The Hakkari Governor's Office and the trustee running the city administration will hold the 7th annual “Cilo Fest” festival in the Cilo Sat Mountains, which are at risk of melting due to global warming and are protected for their sensitive ecosystem despite warnings from experts.

The festival, scheduled for June 28-29, will be held in an area designated as a “special security zone” and closed to the public 365 days a year. The ban will be lifted for two days only for the festival. The event is being organized in collaboration with the Hakkari Governor's Office, the Yüksekova District Governor's Office, and the Ministry of Youth and Sports.

Despite warnings from experts and local residents, preparations for the festival have already caused damage to the natural environment. Dozens of portable toilets and trash containers have been placed in the area, and road widening work has been carried out, damaging the natural landscape.

The public has reacted against activities held in glacier areas threatened by global warming and is demanding that the festival be moved to an alternative location that will protect nature.

Despite the objections, the Hakkari Provincial Directorate of Youth and Sports has announced that free transportation will be provided from the city center and districts to the venue, and that it is mandatory to fill out a “Free Transportation Registration Form” to use this service.

As criticism grows that the festival is being used for tourist and political purposes rather than to protect the glaciers, experts warn that fragile ecosystems such as Cilo could face permanent damage.