Protest makes an impact: Forestry tender cancelled

In the Fındıklı district of Rize, residents held a press conference at Fındıklı Republic Square to express their opposition to the tendering of forest lands by the Fındıklı Municipality Forestry Directorate, as well as to mining exploration sites in the region and the killing of Reşit Kibar in Cankurtaran. Following intense public pressure, it was announced that the tender had been cancelled.

'MUNICIPALITY ANNOUNCED'

Announcing that the tender had been cancelled as a result of the protests, Fındıklı Municipality issued the following statement:

"The tender for the 'leasing of the operating rights of income-generating facilities located in the Fındıklı Forest Management Chief's Office, Yeni Neighborhood Non-Accommodation Forest Park' has been cancelled in accordance with Article 29 of the State Tender Law No. 2886 and Article 14, Paragraph 1 of the relevant tender specifications. Submitted for your information."

'THE COURAGEOUS STRUGGLE OF THE BLACK SEA PEOPLE'

According to a report by Evrensel, CHP Rize Deputy Tahsin Ocaklı emphasized that the protests would yield results, stating:

“I will do whatever is necessary in parliament with the Republican People's Party group to prevent the destruction of our living spaces. We will continue to do our part in parliament, and you will continue to do yours on the streets. As the people of Fındıklı, we will not allow such a project.” Following him, Fındıklı Mayor Ercüment Şahin Çervatoğlu said, “The same incident happened in Hopa just yesterday. Representatives of capital took Metin Lokumcu, who was protecting his living space, from among us through police violence and the disproportionate use of tear gas by security forces. The people of Fındıklı know that they must carry the underground and surface wealth, which is the right of their unborn children, into the future. But capital has also launched an attack to plunder these areas; it is attacking Fındıklı. There is one thing they do not know. There is the courageous struggle of the Black Sea people. We are fighting for nature today as well. They are trying to hand over public property to the insatiable greed of the capital that tore Reşit Kibar, who was fighting for nature in Cankurtaran above Fındıklı, away from us. Our grandfathers protected the trees in the pastures and highlands. Now, they have seized all areas through forest cadastre work. This means they seized them to hand these areas over to a handful of capitalists.”