The Defend Kurdistan Initiative has visited the city of Derbendixan in the Sulaymaniyah region of southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq) on Friday.

Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) member Dr. Hekim and local Cultural Director Hasan Heme Saleh welcomed the Defend Kurdistan delegation in Derbendixan.

In a speech here, Dr. Hekim expressed appreciation of the delegation for its reporting activities. He also condemned the blocking of the group in Hewler. 50 members of the delegation from different parts of the world were deported, and at least 27 were blocked at an airport by the German police.

Defining the protection of nature as a duty, the delegation pointed to the destruction of nature alongside the damage caused to the people by the attacks against Kurdistan.

The delegation held a meeting with the Kurdistan Nature Organization. During the meeting, the organization presented to the delegation a report that it had prepared in early June.

The delegation also received information from the officials about the effects of water reduction at the Derbendixan dam by the Iranian administration.

The report of the Nature Organization covers the destruction of nature and the attacks of Turkey and Iran. It emphasizes that the war waged by the Turkish state is also a war against nature.

WAR ON NATURE

The report includes, “The Turkish fascist army has 40 military bases in South Kurdistan and commits thousands of inhumane crimes in the areas it has occupied in Rojava. The invading army has been bombing Kurdistan for decades and destroying its nature. Apart from people, the environment and animals are also killed during wars, the air is polluted, the water is poisoned, and the soil is damaged. The war of the Turkish state, which has been going on for decades, is also a war against the environment and our planet. Turkey seeks to harm Kurdistan's environment and destroy its plants and animals. This is a fact and it is happening in Kurdistan. The world and the international community remain silent towards it.”

1.3 MILLION DUNAMS OF FOREST DESTROYED IN 10 YEARS

According to the report, more than 1.3 million dunams of forest have been destroyed in the last 10 years. 35 percent of these fires were caused by Turkish and Iranian bombardments which damaged thousands of hectares of vineyards, gardens and natural forests. Moreover, agricultural lands, many wild animal species and houses were damaged. 50 percent of the forests in Kurdistan and Iraq were destroyed in the last 50 years.

Turkey has been bombarding Kurdistan with its ground and air forces since 1992. Thousands of hectares of forest were also destroyed in these attacks which led to the deaths of thousands of civilians and guerrillas.

According to the statistics of the peshmerga, the Turkish state attacked the Kurdistan territory 698 times by air attacks and 555 times by ground attacks between 2015-2019. In 2020, 1300 air strikes and 120 ground attacks were carried out.

7 THOUSAND DUNAMS OF AGRICULTURAL LAND BURNED IN THE FIRST 40 DAYS

The report said that 7,000 dunams of agricultural land was burned as a result of the bombardments in the first 40 days of the Turkish invasion attacks. “1,300 bee nests belonging to the villagers were destroyed in Kani Masi and Avaşin in the first 9 days of the operation. A large water project providing water in Adne village of Kani Masi district was destroyed.”

CALL FOR AN END TO COOPERATION WITH TURKEY

The Kurdistan Nature Organization called on Turkey to “stop its military operations in Kurdistan territory and end the destruction of nature in Kurdistan”.

The organization also called on the people and merchants of Kurdistan not to take part in this destruction of nature and not to promote Turkish markets and to boycott Turkish goods.

“We call on countries that continue to cooperate with the Turkish army to end their cooperation with Turkey,” the report said.