Public reactions continue after the fire that devastated a large area between the Mazıdağı district of Mardin and Çinar district of Amed (Diyarbakır) on the night of 20 June. 15 people lost their lives, and according to the data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, 924 animals perished and 14,900 decares of land turned to ashes in the fire caused by a short circuit on an electricity pylon.  According to the local people and expert reports, the electricity company DEDAŞ and the government, which did not intervene in any way to stop the fire, were responsible for the heavy consequences of the disaster, after which, the state abandoned the people to their fate.

The fire broke out in the evening and local fire brigades were unable to intervene in the mountainous area. Helicopters only arrived in the morning when the fire was already under control. While fires continue to blaze unchecked in other Kurdish regions, the Turkish air force is bombing forests and the areas in surrounding villages. Several burning areas in northern Kurdistan have been declared a restricted military zone.

‘Who will be held responsible now?’

The people in Mazıdağı and Çınar feel abandoned. Speaking to ANF, Ferhan Erdem from the village of Herberê (Yazçiçeği) who lost relatives in the fire, said: "Without the wind, the fire might not have been so big, but it was a real storm. There have been problems with the electricity supply in the villages here for years. There are constant power cuts. Because the power goes out so often, our electrical household appliances break down. On the day of the fire, there was an outage in the morning that lasted until the evening. Then, suddenly, there was electricity in the lines again and, at the same time, the fire broke out in the neighbouring village. Sparks from an electricity pylon started the fire. The fire reached our village within ten minutes. People who tried to put out the fire died. DEDAŞ devastated us and burnt our home. Who will be held responsible now? No one is admitting their guilt, instead we are being blamed ourselves.”

‘We are left to die’

Ferhan Erdem continued: “It wouldn't have come to this if we weren't Kurds. We are left to die. Neither the lives of our children nor those of our animals have any value. Nature has no value. People have died, dozens of our animals are dead. All our work this year has been undone. It is a catastrophe and we wonder what worse we could suffer. People have been burnt to death before our eyes. Our villages have burned. Flames have burst into our house. If the government had sent a helicopter, the fire would not have raged until the morning. Not so many people would have died if helicopters had come. But no helicopter came, and the fire brigade arrived late and couldn't do anything in the mountainous terrain anyway. Who will give us back the people who have gone?"

‘No one took care of us because we are Kurds’

Emine Esen from the village of Kelekê (Yücebağ) said that the fire brigade had been informed immediately and that the district municipality of Mazıdağı had sent fire engines. “The military did not allow the fire brigade to enter the village. We waited for hours. While ten people died, the fire brigade was kept waiting. We tried to put out the fire and rescue the injured. Four people died trying to rescue the wounded. We have lost people, our animals are dead, and our crops have been destroyed. Our lives were destroyed in a single night. I don't know what exactly we have been through. It seems to be the fate of the Kurds that we are constantly hit by disasters. Even with this fire, no one took care of us because we are Kurds. There are still injured people in hospital, some with very serious burns. Young children have lost their parents, young people have passed away. Who will answer for this?"