Turkish governor’s mother stands against municipal team removing trees

ISPARTA – Doğan News Agency

The mother of Sakarya Governor Hüseyin Avni Coş is standing against municipal teams tasked with removing trees by a lake in the southern Turkish province of Isparta.

Special vehicles were directed to the area by the Parks and Gardens Directorate upon a decision by the Eğirdir District Municipality to uproot the trees and move them to another place. However, Feride Coş, the mother of the Sakarya governor, took action and stood against the removal team and its equipment, saying the legal process regarding the municipality’s plans was continuing.

“The whole of Turkey reacted when trees were removed in Istanbul. Now, nobody see this tree massacre. We are fighting to prevent environmental pollution,” Coş said.

She added that locals were against the planned reconstruction works in the neighborhood, accusing officials of removing the trees for their personal benefit.

Eğirdir Municipality has released a statement, saying the trees were being transferred to another recreational area within the knowledge and with the approval of the Forest Directorate. The municipality said tree transfers were routinely made and denied that trees had been cut down.

Hüseyin Avni Coş hit headlines in 2013 when he was caught on camera swearing and demanding that a protester, who he called a “pimp,” be detained in the southern province of Adana.