The Muradiye Waterfall in Muradiye that stands over the Bend-i Mahi with all its glory as one of the most prominent natural wonders in Van. The waterfall is 80 km to the city center, stands at 50 meters and is fed by the Tendürek Mountain, and has been threatened by the AKP government for a long time. The waterfall first faced a threat in 2014 with the hydroelectric dam built closeby, and is now being turned into a grounds for profiteering by the minds that stole the municipalities.

The thieving Metropolitan Municipality administration, who left no real estate unsold and no public institution left working, is now working to sell off the Muradiye Waterfall. The project is supposedly to give the waterfall a modern facade, and has been accepted by the Van Governorate and trustees.

The natural wonder Muradiye Waterfall will be awarded to somebody in a bid on Wednesday.

Muradiye is a waterfall that has an impactful view due to the strong flow of the Bend-i Mahi River, but also serves to beautify its surroundings. The waterfall is surrounded by colorful flowers in the spring and the waters freeze to create an impressive show in the winter. After the bid, there is no telling what the waterfall will look like.

“NATURAL STATE WILL BE LOST”

Mesopotamia Ecology Association Co-chair Seher Kadiroğlu Ateş stated that the water rights for the waterfall will be sold to a company for 49 years. Ateş said selling water to an individual goes against ecology itself and added: “When people visit, they will be faced with hefty fees, public property will be awarded to somebody for money. This is inviting profiteering into the area. If you install benches, people would come, but this is not such an effort. They will pour concrete. Concrete is the enemy of nature. The natural state of the waterfall will be lost.”