The images showing the cutting down of forest trees in the Qaradağ region of Iranian Azerbaijan continue to circulate. However, according to local media reports, the official authorities of the Islamic Republic continue to "deny and refute" the events.
Now, it is not only Turkish activists and environmental defenders, but various groups who are expressing their concerns about the destruction of the forests in the media and on social networks.
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| Turkish Activists Protest the Destruction of Forests: "After cultural genocide, now genocide of trees?!" |
The "Nasr News" internet portal, operating in Tabriz, was recently taken to court by the Tabriz Municipality's Parks and Green Areas Department due to its reports on tree cutting.
Nevertheless, the portal continues to release visual evidence of trees being cut down and transported by trucks in various regions.
Nasr News, in particular, has published videos showing cut-down trees in Aynalı forests, which are listed as protected areas in the Qaradağ region.
Meanwhile, the Mehr news agency published a report titled "Do Not Deny the Cutting Down of Qaradağ Trees!" in recent days.
"Since the second half of last year (in the Islamic calendar), images of large trucks transporting cut-down trees from the Qaradağ region have been published almost every day. Despite all the reactions and protests, the relevant authorities continue to deny the events instead of providing credible explanations," the report states.
Link to the original text in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
İran Azərbaycanında meşə ağaclarının kəsilməsinə etirazlar davam edir