TIGEM officers often seize the animals of the villagers on the pretext that they graze them on the TIGEM land. The animals are taken away and are not given food or water. Villagers who seek to get their animals back are asked for money.
The Directorate General of Agricultural Enterprises (TIGEM) seized a villager's sheep grazing in a pasture area close to TIGEM lands in Ceylanpınar district of Urfa.
The person whose sheep were confiscated on the grounds that he grazed them on TİGEM land, recorded the events on his mobile phone.
In the footage TIGEM security forces are seen to be taking one of the confiscated sheep by force as the gendarmerie blocks the villager who is trying to prevent the seizure of his sheep. One of the gendarmerie officers is heard saying "You are committing a crime" as the villager was recording the event.
TIGEM officers often seize the animals of the villagers on the pretext that they graze them on the TIGEM land. The animals are taken to TIGEM's facilities in Gümüşsu, Beyazkule and Akrepli. Animals are not given food or water. Villagers who seek to get their animals back are asked for money under the pretext of care costs.
The amount of money asked per animal is too much for the farmers. Those who could pay the money (400-500-600-700-1000 TL) can take their animal from TIGEM with difficulty. The animals of those who are not able to pay are kept in the "TIGEM detention center".
