{"id":2030,"date":"2022-06-25T12:25:45","date_gmt":"2022-06-25T09:25:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/penna.cydialogue.org\/?p=2030"},"modified":"2022-07-18T14:36:28","modified_gmt":"2022-07-18T11:36:28","slug":"i-asked-the-director-of-the-forestry-department-he-said-he-was-told-it-was-private-property","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/penna.cydialogue.org\/i-asked-the-director-of-the-forestry-department-he-said-he-was-told-it-was-private-property\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI ASKED THE DIRECTOR OF THE FORESTRY DEPARTMENT, HE SAID HE WAS TOLD IT WAS PRIVATE PROPERTY\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"
A fire which broke out in a \u201cmountain cabin\u201d<\/strong> in a forest area located between A\u011f\u0131llar (Mandres<\/em>) and Mersinlik (Flamoudi<\/em>) turned more than 16,000 donums into ash. When we questioned the ownership of the mysterious cottage and the surrounding garden located at the centre of the valley where the fire started, the Minister of Agriculture Dursun O\u011fuz replied, \u201cI asked the Director of the Department of Forestry, I was told it was private property. How could private property exist in such a place, I too was surprised.\u201d<\/strong> \u201cThe housing permit will definitely be investigated\u201d<\/strong> The cause of the fire: An unregistered, digger without number plates<\/strong> \u2018It was leased in 2015 with the permission of a minister\u2019<\/strong> Who is responsible?<\/strong>
\nThe owner of the cabin and the surrounding grounds, H.K is in police custody.
\nThe Minister of Agriculture and Natural Resources O\u011fuz says the person in question is a 1975 migrant<\/strong>, which is why \u201che probably purchased it from someone else.\u201d<\/strong>
\nI ask, \u201cCan someone own private property in the middle of a forest.\u201d<\/strong>
\n\u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d<\/strong> he replies.
\nThe minister is tired, he hasn\u2019t slept in three days, having gone to Parliament directly from the fire zone, and we are now talking on his way back to the village of Mersinlik (Flamoudi<\/em>).
\nHe says, \u201cThe fire burning towards A\u011f\u0131llar (Mandres<\/em>) was completely brought under control, but then it flared up again. Now the fire is also spreading towards the Five Finger Mountains. The flames have turned towards the village of Mersinlik (Flamoudi<\/em>). That\u2019s why, because of the situation, we haven\u2019t had much of a chance to investigate the place where the fire broke out.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nI ask, \u201cWhat do you know so far.\u201d<\/strong>
\n\u201cWhat I have been told is that the place is privately owned property. A heavy vehicle operating at the site suddenly overheats; catches fire and the flames spread to the forest. The Forestry Department intervenes immediately but the fire grows. The Forestry Department arrives on time. But they fail to prevent it from spreading.”<\/strong>
\nI ask, \u201cCan one issue a permit to reside here?\u201d<\/strong>
\n\u201cI had no knowledge, no idea, I was surprised myself to learn that private property could exist in such a place. If any construction or building permit has been given, then this will be investigated. Anyway, the person in question is in police custody.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThe owner of the \u2018Mountain Cabin\u2019, H.K., who is held responsible for being negligent at the start of the fire and A.\u015e., the owner of the digger, which caught fire in the forest, are both being held in police custody at the moment.
\nPolice arrested both on the charge of \u201ccausing a fire due to negligence.\u201d<\/strong>
\nIt emerged during the court hearing that the digger was \u201cunregistered and without number plates\u201d<\/strong>. However, the status of the house was not disclosed. According to the police officer\u2019s witness testimony given to the Famagusta District Court, \u201cthe unregistered digger which did not have any number plates caught fire after the vehicle\u2019s poorly connected battery cables short-circuited.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nI\u2019m speaking with a former employee from the Forestry Department, who tells me that you cannot have unplanned development, uncontrolled activity or heavy machinery operating in forest areas.
\nThe employee \u2013 who claimed that a house and the surrounding grounds at the site where the fire had started had been leased (to the individual<\/em>) in 2015 by the Forestry Department with \u2018Ministerial approval\u2019 \u2013 said, \u201cThe site has been a forest area since 1960. They\u2019re claiming it’s private property, but I don\u2019t think so. They used to build mountain cabins during the British era. The aim of these cabins was to accommodate mountain rangers responsible for protecting the forests. These cabins were used for patrols, not for recreational purposes\u2026\u201d<\/strong>
\nIt has been claimed that the site located close to Mersinlik (Flamoudi<\/em>) was leased to H.K by the then Minister of Environment Hakan Din\u00e7y\u00fcrek.
\nI get a hold of the National Unity Party (UBP<\/em>) MP Hakan Din\u00e7y\u00fcrek who tells me it was impossible for him to remember a procedure that had been carried out seven years ago. \u201cThousands of (hectares<\/em>) of forest land are leased; this is done during every minister\u2019s term in office and the same applies for my term. I do not have any information about this mountain cabin, and I do not remember. There have been no illegal practices during my term.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nNow I would like to openly ask:
\nHad that unregistered digger without number plates not been in the forest area between Mersinlik \u2013 A\u011f\u0131llar (Flamoudi \u2013 Mandres<\/em>)\u2026
\nIf the cabin had not been leased.
\nWould this fire have started?
\nThere is no point in crying at the \u201cmurder\u201d scene if there is negligence, an unlawful act, preferential treatment, the turning of a blind eye or the granting of a favour to a crony and if no one is held accountable.
\nThe trees, the wildlife, nature, and the vegetation paid the price.<\/strong>
\nWhat about those responsible?<\/p>\n