Being the center of trade, agriculture and animal husbandry, Iğdır is struggling with hunger and poverty due to the economic embargo of the state.

In Iğdır are the Dilucu Border Gate with Azerbaijan-Nakhchivan, the Alican Border Gate with Armenia, and the Boralan Border Gate with Eastern Kurdistan (Iran). Yet Iğdır, the gateway of Asia to Europe, has been under the economic embargo imposed by the AKP-MHP government for years. The people of Iğdır are prohibited from doing border trade with these three countries.

HDP Iğdır MP Habip Eksik said that the fact that the border gates are closed means that the last opportunity for people is taken from them. “Although Iğdır is at the border of three countries, it is among the provinces with the weakest trade. It is one of the provinces with the highest poverty, hunger and unemployment. The reason why these border gates are not open is the hostile approach of the government to the people in this region. It is a sort of punishment for not voting for this government and this is unacceptable."

Border gates must be opened

Eksik said that the first thing to be done in Iğdır is to open these border gates, because this will help the development of the region and bring a solution to the hunger, poverty and unemployment problems. “If this is not done, the problems caused by the economic crisis will deepen and turn into an even worse situation.”