Turkish army burns forests before launching military operations

The Turkish army launched an operation in 24 villages and hamlets in Bitlis. Before the operation it burned thousands of acres of forest in the area.

Bitlis is one of the regions targeted by the deliberate burning of forests carried out by the Turkish soldiers. Nearly 90 percent of the forests were burned or dug up. The last fires were those caused by the Turkish army, before the military operation it launched on September 6: Thousands of acres of forest have gone lost.

The forests of the Sehi region have been particularly targeted by the state. The Sehi region was famous for its rice fields. Rice cultivation is no longer possible due to the fires, bans and operations launched by the army. In addition to the Sehi forests, fires are also reported in Hizan, Mutki and Tatvan regions every year. All the woods around the police station are targeted by soldiers.

According to the information obtained from local sources, the Turkish army, which declared a curfew in 24 villages and related hamlets on September 6, just before launching the operation, burned thousands of acres of forest before the operation. The burning of the forest area between the villages of Döşkaya and Ortakapı in Bitlis on August 31 was also part of the pre-operation activities.