DİHA - Dicle News Agency

UBEYDULLAH HAKAN

VAN (DİHA) - It is mostly the citizens who make living on stockbreeding affected negatively from operations launched by Turkish Armed Forces (TSK). Animal breeders saying that they could not feed their animals on pasture, told that '' Our only means of subsistence is stockbreeding and transhumance. We are neither ascending to rural nor to our uplands. operation should be ceased.''

Animal breeders come first among those affected negatively from operations of TSK against People's Defense Forces (HPG) with arrival of spring. Animal breeders who prepared to move up to uplands with coming of summer, have life concerns. Also stagnation is seen in the Van Animal Bazaar which thousands of farmers gathered at this time every year.

While the reason of dullness is connected to military operations in the region, troops based in the border of North Iraq, Hakkari and surrounding affects transhumance negatively.

' We could not graze our animals'

Fikret Ertus named peasant who make livelihood by selling animals which he feeds on uplands is complaining about operations. Stating that they could not graze their animals especially because of operations launched in the border regions with coming of spring, said that '' neither we can move up to rural nor our uplands. This is valid for many place in southeast and east region of Turkey. 90 percent of people in Van subsists on revenue flowing from their villages like mine, they could not ascend to their uplands, the reason is military operations.'' Drawing attention to dullness at Van Animal Bazaar, Ertus, said that '' now two animal can not be purchased or sold. The spring came and we could not hold animals in the stables, we will ascend to uplands but they say ' there is an operation'. If you impose hunger on people their only way out of this would be joining guerillas.''

Animal merchant Hasim Bozkurt named citizen drawing attention villagers in Hakkari, Siirt and Van could not go to the uplands, said that '' there is a military buildup in uplands. We could not take sheeps from one village to another because it is banned. This kind of oppressions does not exist in the west but it exists in the east.''

' My village and upland which are my source of livelihood are banned'

Necim Gürmüz, immigrating from Doav village in Van's Gurpinar district to Van 16 years ago, said that stockbreeding is their only source of revenue. Stating that he has 3 thousand animals in the Dova village, said that:

'' We came from village but still my source of revenue is my village and uplands. State prevents us going to uplands and our village. We have about 3 thousand sheeps we don't know where to take them. We want to go to our village. While we are expecting government to construct our villages and houses, sadly it bans our uplands which is our only means of livelihood.'' Mehmet Suvet named peasant also showed reaction to operations and stated that their right of live is hampered due to operations.

Mehmet Basaran named animal breeder, drawing attention that great proportion of population of east and southeast region depends on stockbreeding, criticised AK Party government. Defending that stockbredding came to the point of disappearing with the AK Party government coming to power, Basaran, said that only point of revenue was uplands but with last process transhumance is wanted to be removed. It will cause disaster not to allow animals to be moved to uplands. Our only source of revenue is stockbreeding and transhumance.''

(Fotoğraf: Meral LAÇOĞLU)

(uh/sy)