Utku ÇELİK-The TKP’s Çanakkale Provincial Organization released a statement on the ongoing forest fires in Çanakkale, saying, “The solution is to nationalize basic sectors such as mining and construction, along with the maintenance, protection, and management of our forests by the state in the interests of all members of society.” The TKP called for free compensation for all citizens affected by the fires.
Those affected by the fire were also invited to the TKP’s Çanakkale provincial office and Kepez Community House.
The full text of the statement reads as follows:
"Our province has seen thousands of hectares of forest and agricultural land burned, dozens of villages evacuated, our citizens losing their homes, livelihoods, and our animals losing their lives. The fire has become a threat to citizens in the city center.
The statements made are similar to those made in previous ‘natural disasters.’ The fire was started by carelessness, grown by very strong winds, unusually hot temperatures…
We know this is not true. We ask:
Why is there no monitoring or surveillance system for both protecting forests and detecting fires at a very early stage?
Why are there no vehicles, machinery parks or personnel necessary to fight fires?
Why isn’t there planning to mobilize the state’s and society’s resources in the most widespread and efficient way to fight fires?
Similar questions can be asked for different natural events and other areas of life. This system only works to protect, improve and make happy the lives of our people, workers; only so that the rich and bosses can get richer.
In this system, burning forest lands for rent is tolerated, forests are handed over to mining companies. The state’s organization for fighting forest fires is liquidated, fire-fighting planes are left to rot so that new profit gates can be opened for bosses.
The solution is nationalization in basic sectors such as mining and construction, along with the maintenance, protection and management of our forests by the state in the interests of all members of society.
What needs to be done urgently is for all needs such as health, shelter and nutrition of all our citizens affected by the fire to be met in the fastest and most qualified way by the Governorship and Ministry. Our citizens’ material losses must be quickly and unconditionally compensated.
We will follow up on ensuring that burned areas do not turn into rent projects and are regained as forest and agricultural land."
