Şehriban Aslan

DİYARBAKIR- As the first phase of demolition in Lalebey and Alipaşa neighborhoods of Diyarbakır’s Sur district is about to end, the preparation for second phase has begun. “Whoever oppresses someone, suffers the consequences, particularly, those who oppresses the Kurdish people suffered the consequences.  One day those who oppresses will face a bad end,” said the citizens in Sur.

Curfew has been imposed in several neighborhoods of Diyarbakır’s Sur district for more than a year. The rights violations and demolition in the Lalebey and Alipaşa neighborhoods are about to end. While the demolition is going on phase by phase, the citizens in Sur repeat that they will not leave their homes against the state continuing the demolition step by step and the citizens call on people to show awareness.

‘We don’t want money’

Demolition in Lalebey and Alipaşa neighborhoods continues at full stream. First the electricity and water of the citizens were cut off and now they are forced to leave their homes and to move other neighborhoods. The citizens, who do not leave their homes, are being threatened by the police to leave their homes. And high barriers have been built in the neighborhoods in order to prevent the reactions.

The citizens, who set up tents next to barriers, say, “We are told ‘Go to bank and take your money and go from here’. We don’t need money or something else. We don’t want to leave our homes and land.”

‘We built our homes with hope and dreams’

One of home owners told us, “It is like a palace, we built our homes with hope and dreams. Let’s come in and see how I am right. I built it as two-story. We thought we would live here with our children. But they didn’t allow us. It is my home turn. I took everything in the home. We are kicked out of our homes and lands. But no one should think they will not have a consequence. Whoever oppresses someone, suffers the consequences, particularly, those who oppresses the Kurdish people suffered the consequences.  One day those who oppresses will face a bad end. We are now in Sur and we will not leave it.”