Today I was in Munzur National Park and this was definitely the greenest spot so far in Turkey. This amazingly beautiful river has its source in Munzur mountains which are all about 3000 metres high or more. There is still snow on the tops and the water is accordingly icecold which is sourcing as always as a runlet and just after around 50 metres already become a river with. Munzur water factory is taking their water right from there and selling it all over Turkey. There is a lot of water and there is also the myth about the honourable shepherd with a milk can in his hands who while running away from pilgrims that wanted to kiss his hands spilled the milk over Munzur mountains and wherever a drop fell down a water spring rose.
This place is important for Muslims and also for Kurdish people since Tunceli was formerly called Dersim which means “silver door” which was the gateway to Kurdistan and also an indication for the richness of minerals which are by the way nowadays mined just by foreign companies especially Canadians, the same like
in Greece. In 1936 under Atatürk the name was changed, so where all the kurdish names in Turkey. This was turkish development as they called it. There where also in 1938 a huge genocide taking place in some rocks 20km from Tunceli called Dere Laç, I passed there just today and when I was told that about 100000 Kurds where killed there I had some same feeling coming up like I had when I was in Mauthausen in Austria.
I met some older Turks in Istanbul who wished Atatürk back and told me about the good progress he made and that wealth of western Turkey is based on this one person. In east side though I hear a little different stories and they do not share the same opinion…
Nowadays Munzur is been kept under surveillance by military because PKK should be hiding in this wild mountains. They have check points all over the place, burning down parts of the forest to see the enemy before approaching, cut down bridges over Munzur river and spend a whole sum of money in fancy military equipment to “keep the area safe” for normal people.
A newer idea of Turkish government is easy and also paying off. They just want to
flood the whole area with building dams again and gaining energy which lacks anyway. Some Austrian banks also give some credits again and the thing is done, 2 from 8 dams are already built, not yet in National Park area but not so far. People here really like this area for hiking and even more for picnic, which we did by the way today and it was really lovely. I saw the river and its picturesque landscape. There is also a rafting school in Ovacık and I am sure that kayakers would really enjoy it. This is maybe a solution, at least to safe the most beautiful spots. There should be an international kayak or rafting event, which is for sure really difficult to impossible to organise especially in this region but it´s definitely worth it. Actually if there would just be an EIA (Environmental Impact Assesment) made before building any dam it could safe not only some animals.
In Munzur region there is again very fragile nature with many endemic species, like the redfish (Kirmiyi Alabalik in turkish) or special variety of garlic. That´s why some places here are called Garlic Mountains. Furthermore there are again birds and more plants that are worth of protection.
This is just some abstract from the impact humans can take again on nature and their creatures including Homo sapiens evolved for a long time.
I took the bus for time reasons to be on time at a declared meeting date where a local information center in Hasankeyf should be opened with big press appearance. I got this information from eca-watch newsletter. I also got in contact with Ulrich Eichelmann, the frontman in Austria, who was also here and declared this site to be worth of protection.
Starting ahead, entering the southeastern region of Turkey the landscape was shifting to dry stone valleys appearing to have no end. Hills after hills with not much, but stones and some dry plants. Green could just be seen on depressions of land, where human watering systems take their impact.
First I thought I am caught in nowhere, all the same and nothing different.
Until I entered the valley of Tigris I understood immediately why people want to preserve this area. They called this area from bibliographical times the garden of Eden, culture here is more than 10 thousand years old. People used to live in caves till the late 70’s, afterwards it was forbidden by law to live in historical monuments and houses where built and hundreds of caves are for tourist attraction nowadays. Besides there are many more monuments in this unique landscape. Even the way to have dinner at the river, or to use water channels to send water to all the caves is very well thought.
The NGO that is now dealing with this issue is Doga Dernegi. All of them are really friend
ly, well organised and could even manage the biggest star in Turkey, called Tarkan, to visit this village. There was a tour all around the sights for everybody and while walking I was impressed by biodiversity in this place. Not only endemic plants are found in this place, but also birds, turtles some species of fish that only live here and nowhere else on the world. Wildlife, landscape and cultural monuments are extraordinary and fit this place in an outstanding way.
One small problem there is: all this should be flooded in order to await the immense increase of needed energy for growing of urban population and their expectation for industrialism. A huge dam should be built with water level rising of more than 100 metres, disappearance of the village and ambient habitats included.
The funny thing is that also Austrian Banks will give huge export credits for this project, more details you can read on
eca-watch and their Ilisu Campaign.
My next days ride will lead to some relating aspect, I am going to visit Munzur and 2 dams that have been built and 6 more are planned.
in Greece. In 1936 under Atatürk the name was changed, so where all the kurdish names in Turkey. This was turkish development as they called it. There where also in 1938 a huge genocide taking place in some rocks 20km from Tunceli called Dere Laç, I passed there just today and when I was told that about 100000 Kurds where killed there I had some same feeling coming up like I had when I was in Mauthausen in Austria.
flood the whole area with building dams again and gaining energy which lacks anyway. Some Austrian banks also give some credits again and the thing is done, 2 from 8 dams are already built, not yet in National Park area but not so far. People here really like this area for hiking and even more for picnic, which we did by the way today and it was really lovely. I saw the river and its picturesque landscape. There is also a rafting school in Ovacık and I am sure that kayakers would really enjoy it. This is maybe a solution, at least to safe the most beautiful spots. There should be an international kayak or rafting event, which is for sure really difficult to impossible to organise especially in this region but it´s definitely worth it. Actually if there would just be an EIA (Environmental Impact Assesment) made before building any dam it could safe not only some animals.
