Kitêbxaneya Kurdî

Press about the Kurds

September 6, 2002

Baskaya: No diesel trade at Habur gate since Sept. 11, 2001

Sirnak Governor Huseyin Baskaya said that diesel oil trade had stopped at the Habur Border Gate. Baskaya stated that there weren't any problems at the Habur Border Gate prior to this and added that the diesel oil trade had entirely stopped a week after the September 11 attacks.

Governor Baskaya said that they were only permitting entrance to vehicles which were being used in trade and crude oil transportation and said, "There has been no diesel oil trade at the Habur border gate since September 17 and almost 800 transportation vehicles are accessing through Habur each day."

On the other hand, Chairman of Sirnak Chamber of Commerce and Industry Kamil Ilhan said that the stopping of the diesel oil trade had caused many economic problems in the region.

Ilhan pointed out that almost 60,000 transportation vehicles which were working in diesel transportation before, could not work now," and added: "After stopping diesel oil trade the environment turned into a transportation vehicle cemetery. The owners of these vehicles are in trouble, they can't even sell their vehicles."

© Turkish Daily News