Petition launched to close marble quarry

2021-06-03 15:06:47


	 

	NEWS CENTER - Mesopotamia Ecology Movement started a petition to close the marble quarry to be built in the Gürpınar district of Van and to eliminate the victimization of the people.

	 

	Mesopotamia Ecology Movement started a petition to close the marble quarry to be built in Yurtbaşı (Şexan) village in Van's Gürpınar district and to eliminate the victimization of the people. For the petition launched on change.org, the Ecology Movement made the following statement:

	 

	‘’While measures should be taken against the universal climate crisis, the food crisis, and the ecological crisis as a whole, the opposite trend is clearly seen. From stone, sand, marble quarries to all mining activities, dams, Hydroelectric Power Plants (HESs), Geothermal Power Plants (JESs), and Housing Developments (TOKIs) show the extent of nature plunder. It creates a whole problem, from socio-economic problems to education and health problems, with migrations to be experienced with the evacuation of villages.

	 

	Close the marble quarry

	 

	In summary, while the plundering projects in the whole country are clearly visible and problems are already emerging, the experiences in the Yurtbaşı village of Van/Gürpınar a few days ago summarizes the extent of the plunder of nature. While the situation is so clear, the marble quarry that is wanted to be opened in Yurtbaşı village of Gürpınar district of Van since 2003 should be closed and victimization of the villagers should be eliminated.’’

	 

	What happened?

	 

	Citizens organized a march on May 26 and expressed their reactions against the marble quarry, which started its activities in Yurtbaşı (Şexan) Neighborhood of Gürpınar district of Van. Afterwards, the village guards and soldiers, who responded to the people with firearms, attacked the residents of the neighborhood who resisted the destruction of the barns. During the incidents in which 40 barns were destroyed and four people were detained, a woman who was learned to be pregnant was also battered and her daughter was threatened with detention. After the citizens shared the images of the attack with the public, politicians and law organizations conducted investigations in the village and expressed their support to the people. Ecologists and rights defenders also expressed their support to the public in their statements.