Villages are destroyed by construction of stone quarries in Mardin

Villages in the Stewrê district of Turkey’s southeastern province of Mardin (Mêrdin) face destruction by the never-ending construction of stone quarries, Mesopotamia Agency reports

Within the last two years alone, a total of 7 new stone quarries have been opened in the Stewrê district of Mardin that increased the total number of stone quarries in the district to 13.

The inhabitants of the Teffê village in the district reacted against the new stone quarry that opened in their village.

“They have built 5 stone quarries around our village, where only 800 people live,” said Mehmet Recep Çelik, a villager.

“As if all those quarries are not enough already, they try to open another one that would destroy the fields where we feed our animals,” Çelik reacted to the new quarry construction in their village.

Çelik explained that due to the construction works oak, almond, cherry and pistachio trees around their villages were cut down. Some of the pistachio trees being around 150-years-old.