MESOP WATCH : Vigilante villagers in Antalya blame PKK for wildfires, search for perpetrators
- Aug 07 2021 AHVAL NEWS – Aug 07 2021 Vigilante villagers in Turkey’s Antalya province are convinced that arsonists belonging to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) group started the fires that spread across their region, the news site Middle East Eye reported on Saturday.
The village of Dogancay in Antalya was endangered by the raging wildfires but was saved when the wind changed direction.
Reporting from Dogancay, Middle East Eye (MEE) found that most locals believe that PKK arsonists were behind these fires.
Social media spread the rumour that the PKK was behind the fires without providing any solid evidence.
“Such rumours have spread as quickly as the fires themselves,” MEE said. “Though no evidence has been uncovered of PKK involvement, belief the Kurdish militants are behind the wildfires is widespread.”
Proponents of such beliefs have accused those who argue it was climate change that caused the fires of being PKK sympathizers.
Some even believe the United States played a role in the fires.
“A few decades ago, Americans bought out olive trees and gave us pines instead. Now, the PKK, serving America, can easily ignite a fire in the pine forests,” a young Dogancay villager told MEE.
While some villagers doubt that the U.S. collaborated with the PKK to start the fires, they all, nevertheless, believe the militant group is responsible for the crisis.
Acting on this belief, villagers have armed themselves and began patrolling streets, setting up checkpoints on the lookout for potential PKK arsonists.
“If the state can’t stop them, we’ll defend our village on our own!” said one villager.
MEE also reported from the village of Cevizler, where ethnic tensions between Turks and Kurds are increasing in light of the fires.
“I don’t say they are PKK members but they vote for HDP,” one man said of the area’s Kurds, referring to the pro-Kurdish political party.
“There are PKK sympathizers everywhere,” he added. “We are positive that it is the PKK.”
A Kurdish shop owner in central Manavgat, who helped people affected by the fires, blamed residents who litter for sparking the blazes rather than PKK arsonists.
“Everybody drinks a bottle of beer in the forest and throws the bottle away, including the villagers, then the bottles cause fire,” he said.
“Nobody cares about forests, then they accuse Kurds,” he added. “This is not fair at all.”
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-wildfires-south-vigilantes-search-alleged-arsonists