The Ecology Committee of the Eastern Kurdistan Democratic Society Congress (KODAR) has issued a written statement concerning the attacks of the Iranian regime against the woods in Eastern Kurdistan in recent months. KODAR condemned Iran systematically setting fire to the forests and called for action from the people. KODAR also drew the attention to the simultaneous occurrence of the construction of new military bases and forest fires.

The statement published on KODAR’s website is as follows:

"It is well known that nature and geography the people live in, leave a great influence on their soul and body. In other words, as much as the nature of a nation gets preserved and kept pure, it concludes that the respective nation is protected and valued as well. Kurdistan, that is situated in the heart of the Middle East and is known for its natural beauty, is the target of attacks of many circles.

THEY TARGET THE LIVING AREAS OF OUR PEOPLE

This geography which is rich in underground and above ground resources is more than enough to provide the people with a comfortable and prosperous life, but is unfortunately in the grip of colonial rules. Colonial and occupying forces have set eyes since long on the water, oil and natural resources of Kurdistan. Hegemonic powers are stalemating the living areas of our people with their attacks and increase their assaults on a daily basis. To realize their unjust and illegitimate wishes, they are targeting our homeland and do not even tolerate any living being in our geography.

The Iranian regime has recently launched a new policy against our people with the construction of dams and military outposts. In these recent times, they have initiated a new dirty policy against our people by burning down the forests of Eastern Kurdistan deliberately. Some of the biggest aims of this rotten policy is to commit cultural genocide, irreversible destruction of nature and the emigration of our people.

TURKEY IS CONDUCTING GENOCIDAL POLICIES LIKE IRAN

These genocidal policies are not restricted to the Iranian state alone. With the construction of dams in Northern Kurdistan and on the border, the Turkish state is also acting in coordination with the Iranian state in this dirty policy. These two states are aiming, at the same time, to lay waste to Kurdistan's nature and change its demography.

Increasing forest fires in Kurdistan in recent days are also the result of the policies of those states, that are seeking to destroy the ecosystem of our homeland's nature. In a country where the natural beauty has been destroyed, it is intended also to deprive the people of their morals. The Iranian regime seeks to ruin the nature and biotopes of Kurdistan, by setting fire to the forests in Hewreman, Merîwan, Banê, Serdest, Kamyaran, Avdanan and other regions of Rojhilat. The construction of military outposts on the one hand and the burning of forests on the other hand are carried out in parallel.

We, the KODAR, condemn the Iranian state’s destructive policies against the nature, and we believe that our people will stand for their nature by carrying out a wide range of actions. We are convinced that they will insist on ltheir egitimate and justified demands for the protection of their nature. The Iranian state should also know its destruction of Kurdistan's nature will not go unanswered."