A delegation composed of HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party), DTK (Democratic Society Congress), DBP (Democratic Regions Party) and HDK (Peoples' Democratic Congress) went to the region of Dersim in order to investigate forest fires resulting from Turkish airstrikes and artillery attacks.

The delegation made a statement about the fires after coming face to face with the destruction they are causing. 

HDP Diyarbakir deputy Saliha Aydeniz said that the geography of Dersim was deliberately burned this year as it is every year and that the forest fires aimed at destroying life.

She reminded that thousands of hectares of land are turned into ashes by the military operations.

Aydeniz confirmed that the fire was spreading because of the wind, and added that living beings are being massacred. 

The HDP deputy reiterated that forest fires are harming people, wild animals and many plant species,  and called on authorities to take the necessary steps and promptly work to extinguish the fire. 

“Forest fires in Dersim are destroying life. The same genocidal mentality is at work here. There is an attempt to empty the region with fires. We will have initiatives to prevent the spreading of fires in larger areas and we will continue to extinguish the fire in the field”, the HDP deputy added.

On the other hand, volunteer teams have been working trying to control the fire with the limited resources and means at their disposal.

The activists and people tried to control fires in the Bali Streams, Bali Hamlet, Müşkirek, Bakir Mountains and Çırtık Streams, but unfortunately fires continue to spread.