Destruction in Karpas has sparked widespread public debate

In Northern Cyprus, a section of protected land in the Afendrika area of Karpas has been damaged. A bulldozer belonging to the “Forestry Department” uprooted olive trees and juniper.

Erkan Poyraz confirmed that the bulldozer had been rented out to the Yalousa–Rizokarpaso municipality for road works and was outside the department’s control.

The municipality stated that the bulldozer had indeed been received from the “Forestry Department”, refueled and handed over to local residents, who began to use the machinery on their own.

Former chairman of the Biologists’ Association Hasan Sarpten criticized the situation, pointing out that transferring the machinery without control led to a violation of the protected area regime. He stressed that the “Forestry Department”, the municipality and the “Department of Environmental Protection” bear equal responsibility, as none of the bodies ensured proper supervision.