Barricades set up by the Turkish gendarmerie prevented environmental activists and civil society organisations, who had gathered for a public statement against ecological destruction, from entering the Godernê Valley (Geliyê Godernê) in the Kulp district of Diyarbakır (Amed) on Saturday.
In the Godernê Valley, the triangle formed by the districts of Lice, Kulp and Hazro in Diyarbakır, a place valued for its ecological richness and Kurdish cultural heritage, the ecological destruction has continued due to the ongoing construction of the Silvan Dam under the Southeast Anatolia Project (GAP). Deforestation and environmental degradation continue in the area.
In response to this, the Mezopotamya Ecology Movement had called for a public declaration.
Faced with the barricades of the Turkish law enforcers, the participants, including members of several environmental organisations and many citizens, made a public statement at the entrance of the valley. The group displayed banners and posters with messages such as “Capital, keep your hands off Godernê”, “We claim our nature, culture and history”, “Do not let Godernê be destroyed”, along with calls for action to protect Godernê and its cultural and natural heritage in both Kurdish and Turkish. The protest was also marked with a security tape reading ‘Ecocide Crime Scene’.
The statement concluded with a call to defend the habitat, culture and history against the ecological and social destruction caused by projects like the Silvan Dam. The participants then held a sit-in protest to emphasise their commitment to protecting the environment and cultural heritage of the region against the backdrop of government policies perceived as oppressive and environmentally destructive.
