DİYARBAKIR - Pointing out that unofficial ways and methods were used for the "projects" that could not be done officially in Hevsel Gardens, ZMO and ŞPO Diyarbakır Branch managers said: "Bureaucrats who do not have a sense of belonging to the city turn a blind eye to rent and plunder."

 

Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality and Sur Municipality, who were appointed trustees, rented out the 8 thousand-year-old Hevsel Gardens, which was added to the World Cultural Heritage List as Turkey's 14th heritage site in 2015 and carries the traces of more than 30 civilizations, under the name of “Kültür Park”. opens. In the area where nails should not be driven, unofficial ways and methods are tolerated. The 25-meter road work, where the landowners in the region covering the "project" area in question, can pass with construction machines and vehicles, has not been heard. Non-governmental organizations filed a criminal complaint against these attempts to finish Hevsel Gardens, which is a world heritage site.

 

Chamber of Agricultural Engineers (ZMO) Diyarbakır Branch Co-chair Abdussamed Ucaman and Chamber of City Planners (ŞPO) Diyarbakır Branch Secretary Mahmut Özkeskin stated that what has been done is against the law and the agricultural area in Hevsel Gardens will be endangered.

 

ZONING PLAN WAS STOPPED BY TRUSTEES

 

Explaining the official and unofficial works carried out under the name of “Kültür Park” instead of the “Tigris Valley Project” that was planned to be built in 2012 but was stopped: “The Tigris Valley Project was intended to be built in Hevsel Gardens, but the UNESCO application for Hevsel Gardens was to coincide with the same periods. It was included in the world cultural heritage list in 2015. After it was included in the world heritage list, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality and Sur Municipality gave up the project completely; however, the zoning plan change could not be made due to the problems at that time, and the zoning plan still stands in the same way due to the appointment of trustees to Diyarbakır Municipalities in recent years."

 

'THEY VIOLATED THEIR OWN LAW'

 

Stating that there have been many illegal interventions in Hevsel Gardens for about 10 years, ZMO Branch Co-chairperson Samet Ucaman said: “Previously, the building was declared as a reserve area, but TMMOB objected that the building could not be there, and the execution was stopped. We think that this insistence on the buffer zone, which is included in the UNESCO world heritage site, is for the purpose of profit. They are trying to get in here in various ways. There is a study for the entire area in its periphery. The current system is breaking its own law by opposing the 5403 Soil Conservation Law; therefore, although they are violating these laws, no official is objecting to this issue."

 

THE STATE WILL DESTROY HEWSEL GARDENS

 

Emphasizing that a serious plunder has occurred in the work area, Ucaman said the following about the consequences of possible changes: “A 25-meter road is opened in that region and a road is right inside Hevsel. This road will destroy the entire area of those gardens because the area where the road is built is primarily agricultural land, so they are destroying its prime land. In a place where the road enters, there is a construction and this construction is not done according to the current city's own planning. It is an approach aimed at destroying the Ancient Hevsel Garden. They did a lot of work but they couldn't get it right. Now, the logic of going there and opening such a road at a time when construction stops in the middle of winter is only rent. There is no other explanation. At the expense of destroying all agricultural structures and production areas there, that region is entered in that way; therefore, it will show its destruction in the area there. There will be a periphery around that area and these structures will not have agricultural activities. There will be buildings and similar structures. Unfortunately, that area of ours will be destroyed due to the profit-oriented approaches of such mentalities.”

 

'THEY ARE COMMITTING A CRIME'

 

Stating that they consider the Tigris Region as a world heritage, Ucaman continued his words as follows: “There is not a single garden like Hevsel in the world right now. At present, when one goes to the Yellow River in Indus, Nile, China, it will be seen that agriculture is no longer practiced there. The only ancient garden that has survived until today is Hevsel. To destroy such an area is to destroy the world heritage. The UNESCO delegation was here only a couple of weeks ago. It is also thought-provoking that they wait for the delegation to leave and enter right after. These bureaucrats have no affiliation, sharing or feelings for this city; therefore, people who do not have such a sense of belonging to this city do all kinds of activities for the purpose of income. There are also works on the side of Kırklar Mountain, dozers have entered. All of these are criminal elements. They are also committing this crime. We will both write an article for the Soil Conservation Board to be involved, and we will file a criminal complaint with the city dynamics on this issue. We can see that this is an election-oriented investment. They are trying to create an area of rent and we will raise our objection from all sides in this regard. What they are doing is a crime against the city, it is abuse of office.”

 

MA / Eylem Akdag - Mahmut Altintas