In the Kurdish province of Şırnak, the governor's office has declared several regions, including the Gabar and Cudi mountains, “special security zones” until May 26 and closed the areas to the civilian population. At the same time, new images document the massive continuation of deforestation in precisely these areas.

A total of 13 regions are affected by the access ban, including Gabar and Cudi, as well as Besta and other hard-to-reach mountainous areas in the districts of Cizre, Silopi, Uludere, Güçlükonak, and Beytüşşebap.

According to the Mezopotamya news agency (MA), the deforestation of Şırnak’s oak forests is being carried out under the guise of security and alleged oil and mine development. The work is being carried out under military supervision and by village guards. Extensive destruction has been documented, particularly in the area known as the “TRT zone,” named after a TV and radio tower belonging to the state broadcaster TRT that is located there. Fallen tree trunks are piled up along the roads, transported away by trucks, and apparently sold to other provinces.

According to MA, explosives are also used to break up rocky terrain during the development of roads and drilling sites for oil projects. These detonations not only destroy the geological balance of mountain regions, but also endanger flora, fauna, and local drinking water sources. According to residents, some of the resources that have been used for centuries have already dried up.

Local sources also report that commercial timber sales are organized by armed village guards and military structures also profit from them. Although security reasons are officially cited, there are numerous indications that economic interests are also behind these measures.

For four years now, forests have been systematically destroyed, particularly in the regions of Gabar, Cudi, Besta, Feraşîn, and Qaşuran. Access for journalists, environmentalists, and independent observers is severely restricted due to regularly imposed access bans. The new access ban coincides with the resumption of tree felling in the Gabar region – a connection that environmental groups have criticized as a “deliberate cover-up.”