Forests in Şırnak countryside under Turkish military threat

The destruction of the forest in Şırnak for Turkish army bases continues. Saws and axes are once again being resorted to, this time for a new military fortress in Besta. Massive troop movements in the region also indicate a new operation.

In the Besta region, which is the link between the Kurdish provinces of Şırnak and Siirt, another destruction is to be carried out in the mixed forest to make room for a new "kalekol." The targeted trees are mainly located on private land in the Mêrgamor area, which is strategic from a military point of view. The Turkish army is pressuring the owners to clear the area themselves, otherwise the village guard association from the town of Sêgirkê (Şenoba) would move in. The paramilitary family organization has been in the pay of the Turkish state for years and is partly responsible for the destruction of nature in Şırnak.

Hundreds of trees have already been cut down in Mêrgamor for the planned kalekol, a military guardhouse turned into a fortress. According to sources in the region, a large number of trucks are ready to transport the cut wood. The residents of the affected area are against the destruction. This is because, like many other people in Kurdish society, they revere trees as sacred. Forests are existential to protect our climate. In addition, the massacre of trees also destroys the habitat of numerous animals.

Massive troop concentrations in Besta and the surrounding area indicate that another large-scale operation against the Kurdish guerrillas is imminent in the border area between Şırnak and Siirt. Since March, the Turkish army's traditional "spring operations" have been underway in some parts of northern Kurdistan, often involving thousands of soldiers and members of paramilitary special forces as well as the air force. In earlier years, the guerrillas' transition from winter to spring was more of a disadvantage. But in the meantime, spring operations hardly produce any significant results, as the guerrillas initiate their phase of action in advance.