The Turkish government has been accused of prioritising control over the addressing of crises, such as the recent wildfires, by swiftly quashing dissent and failing to provide adequate support and assistance to citizens. Speaking at a press conference in Ankara on Monday, Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Deputy Group Leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, criticised the government for its slow and inadequate response to recent wildfires in Diyarbakır (Amed) and Mardin (Mêrdîn), accusing them of neglecting their responsposibility towards the lives of the citizens and prioritising political control over ecological and humanitarian concerns.
Koçyiğit criticised the Turkish government’s emergency management and human rights record. She accused the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of displaying “tortoise speed” when responding to natural disasters, leaving citizens in desperate situations.
Koçyiğit highlighted the plight of those affected, both human and animal, by the fires, emphasising the lack of adequate government assistance and the pattern of neglect towards Kurdish-majority regions. She criticised the government’s prioritisation of political control over ecological and humanitarian concerns, stating, “In this country, the government acts swiftly to suppress dissent, yet when disaster strikes, they leave citizens to fend for themselves.”
The Deputy Group leader also pointed the finger at DEDAŞ, Turkey’s largest electricity distribution company, alleging negligence in the maintainance of power lines that she claimed sparked the fires, citing reports from local professional bodies and eyewitnesses, that contended that the fires would have been preventable had DEDAŞ taken the proper precautions. She accused DEDAŞ of attempting to shift the blame and downplay their role in the disaster.
As well as the fires, Koçyiğit criticised the Turkish government’s handling of political prisoners, citing data from human rights organisations indicating deaths among inmates due to delayed medical care and inadequate conditions. She condemned the Justice Ministry’s silence on the matter, calling for accountability and reforms within the penal system.
