08.06.2025 09:10
In the Hasköy neighborhood of the Malkara district in Tekirdağ, villagers reacted to the claim that a private company wanted to open a mine in a pasture area. Citizens stated that their only water source and the grazing areas for their animals were under threat, and they called on the authorities to "Hear our voices."
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Villagers living in Hasköy Neighborhood, which is connected to Tekirdağ Malkara, reacted to the desire to open the village pastures to private mining activities. Citizens gathered in the pasture during the holiday, expressing that the pasture area in the village is wanted to be acquired by a private mining company in the region, and that this situation would completely end livestock farming. The pond and pasture area in the village were also captured from the air.
"IF THERE IS NO PASTURE, THERE IS NO LIVESTOCK" The headman of Hasköy Neighborhood, Erol Çelebi, stated in his remarks, "Now, these animals you see want to open our 1,790-decare pasture in our 12,000-decare land. I do not know how they have applied to our government. I am 61 years old, and we are still trying to produce. We have 300 cows. In our village, we have over 2,000 sheep, goats, and cattle. The miner wants to open the areas where animals pass through in our village along this route. The hills you see in front of us want to give us as pasture. Can animals graze here? What I do not understand is that these miners have dried up the springs in our pasture. Our only water source is this pond. Now this miner wants to open the area where this pond is located," he said.
"IF THIS POND ENDS, OUR LIFE WILL END TOO" Headman Erol Çelebi continued his statement as follows:
"When this pond is finished, that is the day our life ends. I raised two children, one an architect and the other a veterinarian, by doing livestock farming. We want to do livestock farming here with my veterinarian son. We need to do livestock farming to prevent the people here from disappearing. Our President said, 'You produce, we will support you.' I believe in our President. Mr. President, maybe you have no news of this. Please help us, save both livestock and humanity. Miners are trying to open this place because buying land is expensive for them and they have set their eyes on the state pasture. Please prevent this, hear my voice, Mr. President. We are the last generations. Let our livestock not end. Support us. We are fighting. Let our pasture not disappear so that our livestock can continue. The one who wants our pasture is Pullukçu. Can an animal that does not drink water graze in the pasture? Our only water source is this. These mines have dried up the wells in front of our houses, they have dried up our springs."
"THIS WATER IS OUR LIFE" Mülayim Can, one of the villagers, expressed the situation with the following words:
"When this water goes, let them take our lives more beautifully. There were 3 springs. They dried up all 3 springs. They should send an official to inspect the 12,000-decare land. If there is any other water, they should remove the village and dig it up. This water is our life."
"SPRINGS IN THE VILLAGE HAVE DRIED UP, WE HAVE ONE POND" Citizens gathered at the pond chanted slogans in unison, saying, "They want to open our pastures to mining. We are using loans from the state to be able to do livestock farming. We are trying to be beneficial to the homeland and the nation; how will we do livestock farming when our pasture is gone? Our springs in the village have dried up, we have one pond. If our pond goes, livestock farming will end. If the miner needs coal, we need milk and meat. The state also needs meat and milk from us. Our village needs this."
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