MARDİN –In Nusaybin, many neighborhoods have been plundered along with the demolition that put into practice after the self-governance resistance. “We can live in tents but not in buildings of TOKİ,” said the people whose houses were pulled down.

Thousands of buildings in Dicle, Fırat, Abdulkadir Paşa, Yenişehir, Zeynep Abidin and Kışla neighborhoods of Mardin’s Nusaybin district due to loot and demolition started after the curfew imposed in the district between March 14 and July 25, 2016. The expropriated neighborhoods declared as “risky area” have been given to TOKİ (Housing Development Administration of Turkey). Despite the objection of neighborhood residents, the construction of the TOKİ is going on in the district and Zeynel Abidin Neighborhood has also been added to these neighborhoods.

People of Nusaybin state that they don’t want to live in the building of TOKİ called as “Modern houses” by the press outlets, “We will never accept to live in houses built on our children’s bodies,” say the people.

‘I will take my land back’

Esra Kolak, who lived in Zeynel Abidin Neighborhood before the demolition, said three people had come to her home and asked questions about the building of TOKİ. “Two women and a man came to our home two days ago. They asked me, ‘Do you want the buildings of TOKİ? What kind of building do you want?’ I answered them and said I didn’t want to live in these buildings. Therefore, they told me, ‘Why, look these buildings are good, you home is old. They can help you for the rent if you want’. They tried to convince us and they wrote down everything we told them. But I told them I didn’t want these building and I would take my land back no matter what happens. My house wasn’t destroyed during the clashes, they destroyed it after the curfew was lifted.”

‘We can live in tents but not in buildings of TOKİ’

Expressing that she will not live in the buildings of TOKİ even if she has to live in tent, Esra stated that the bodies of citizens killed during the self-governance resistance were taken out the neighborhood. “We will never accept to live in houses built on our children’s bodies,” Esra said they would never accept live in buildings of TOKİ as the people of Nusaybin.

Another neighborhood resident Rahime Aksu said, “Neither I nor my neighbors and relatives have signed for TOKİ. What will we do in houses, where dead bodies are still taken out? I am working in a bazaar to pay rent. Other women are working in other places. Everyone is standing on their own feet.”