Faith Under Threat: Outrage Erupts in Eastern Turkey as Sacred Wells Lose Protection
Duygu Kıt / Newspaper Wall
Representatives of civil society gathered on November 1 at the Munzur Springs in Dersim province of eastern Turkey to accompany a legal delegation examining the area to downgrade its protection status and make a case for protecting the natural site.
The Turkish Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change announced on July 28, 2023, that the valley floors of the Munzur and Pülümür Valleys, together with the area containing the Munzur Springs, have been registered as a “Qualified Natural Protection Area” with the approval of the ministry authorities.
This decision downgraded the protection status of the Munzur Springs, which had been a “First Grade Natural Site.” The Union of Chambers of Engineers and Architects of Turkey (TMMOB) filed a lawsuit against the ministry for annulment of the decision. As part of the case, a court delegation on 1 November carried out an inspection at the Munzur Springs.
The delegation carried out the inspection with an expert committee which included an environmental engineer, a hydrogeologist, a geomorphologist, an ecologist, and a landscape engineer. The participants included the Dersim Deputy of the pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), Ayten Kordu, Dersim Bar Association, Tunceli Chamber of Commerce and Industry, TMMOB Dersim Provincial Coordination, Dersim Labor and Democracy Platform, Ovacık Mayor Mustafa Sarıgül, several from political organisations, environmental associations, and local people.
Prior to the inspection, the Dersim Labor and Democracy Platform issued a press release protesting against the downgrading of Munzur Springs’ status. Erdal Kınaş read the statement on behalf of the platform. Kınaş said they would not allow the commercialization or development of Munzur and said, “Considering its flora, fauna, ecological structure, and cultural value as a religious center, Munzur Springs must be strictly protected for the present and future generations. future. There is no legal basis for declaring it a ‘Qualified Natural Conservation Area’, and this decision should be revoked. We will continue our legal and social fight against any development in Munzur Springs.”
Following the platform statement, DEM Party Deputy Dersim Ayten Kordu and Ovacık Mayor Mustafa Sarıgül also spoke, emphasizing that the Munzur River is sacred in the Alevi faith and must be protected for ecological reasons, and they expressed their commitment to protect Munzur.
TMMOB Legal Counsel Ferhat Çelepkolu gave a presentation to the delegation during the inspection. He said, “Science cannot be bounded by rigid lines. It is impossible to designate one part of a region as strictly protected while applying a different protection status to the source wells. We leave it to your discretion to assess the disruptive impact of any potential activities here.”
“As said, there are differences between strictly protected areas and qualified natural protected areas. Construction is prohibited in strictly protected areas, but development could take place under the qualified natural protection status,” said the expert.
Zeynel Kete, co-chairman of the Democratic Alevi Associations, also made a presentation to the delegation about the religious and cultural significance of the wells for the Alevi people.
He said, “For thousands of years, the Munzur Springs have been sacred to our people. In the Alevi faith, which we refer to as Rea Haq, this place is almost like our genetic code. Our ancestors have worshiped here for centuries and even avoid smoking in the area out of respect for the purity of the air. This place is our identity and should remain in its natural state.”
He added that the law should consider the sensitivity of the community when making a decision.