In Cizre district of Şırnak, which was sort of devastated by Turkish state forces during the nine-day curfew between 4-12 September, which left 21 civilians dead, people haven't given up on the idea of self-rule, the declaration of which was responded by the state with brutal attacks that directly targeted civilians under the name of “fight against the terrorist organization”, which clearly hints PKK. Local people have formed 140 communes affiliated to neighborhood assemblies for the rebuilding of life in the town.

As parts of efforts to establish self-rule based on self-force against the centralist and repressive regime on August 15, the inhabitants of the district are now rebuilding life based on a system defending democracy, ecology and women's liberation through a 17-person Constituent Assembly.

People's assemblies established in Cudi, Sur, Yafes, Nur, Konak, Dağkapı, Kale, Alibey, Dicle and Şah neighborhoods of the district constitute an alternative to the existing system and aim to come up with a solution to all the problems in the settlements.

TOTAL RESISTANCE AGAINST TOTAL ATTACKS

Carrying out self-defense against the special operation teams that uninterruptedly attacked the neighborhoods of Cudi, Sur, Yafes and Nur during the nine days of curfew, residents of the town put up historic resistance during the course of the heavy attacks, believing that the fall of their neighborhoods would mean the fall of their self-rule. After persistently protecting their neighborhoods from state forces and forcing them to retreat nine days later, people have now restarted works for the rebuilding of life soon after the ending of the attacks.

140 COMMUNES FORMED

Not giving up the idea of self-rule despite all the attacks and massacres they suffered, people have formed 140 street communes in 10 neighborhoods of the town since August 15, which include 40 in Cudi, 30 in Nur, 17 in Sur, 10 in Konak, 12 in Yafes, 9 in Dağkapı, 6 in Alibey, 7 in Kale, 5 in Dicle and 4 in Şah. Two spokespersons elected for every commune have formed neighborhood assemblies which deals with works with eight various commissions managing economy, law, self-defense and education.

22 INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED IN WORKS FOR CONSTRUCTION

22 institutions that have been performing works in the town in various fields such as health, culture, art and education for years, are also playing an effective role in the construction efforts.

While works have been initiated for the construction of health centers in Cudi, Sur, Yafes and Nur neighborhoods at the first stage, street communes in 10 neighborhoods are leading a non-profit economic mission.

EDUCATION AND HEALTH COMMISSIONS SET UP

In addition to the Berivan Primary School giving mother tongue education last year, Mala Perwerdehîye -MAPER- (Education House) will also start to provide Kurdish education this year as part of the construction works.

Law Commissions made up of 10 persons from 10 neighborhoods will be producing immediate solutions to the problems emerging in these areas.

On the other hand, the Constituent People's Assembly that deals with cultural and art activities across the town has started works for the establishment of branches to lead similar activities in every neighborhood.

'PEOPLE WILL COMPLETE THE CONSTRUCTION'

Cizre People's Assembly Co-President Mehmet Tunç told that a new brick is being added every day in the dedicated construction of life by the people, adding; “In response to those that insistently disacknowledge our will and mother language, we declared a self-rule of the people to announce that we do not recognize them either. This shouldn't mean that we do not recognize the state, but their regime and ruling.”

Remarking that the people continued self-defense in their neighborhoods which were attacked by state forces with all their forces, Tunç said the people of Cizre have restarted works for construction soon after the ending of attacks, in the same way they resisted these attacks and protected their neighborhoods during the curfew. “The will that managed this for 8 days and nights will also manage to complete the construction”, he underlined.

'WE WILL BUILD COOPERATIVES'

Pointing to people's commitment and dedication to the self-rule model, Tunç added the followings; “We will start to build cooperatives soon after we've finished forming our communes properly. In this way, we will be an answer to the system's hunger for profit in economy and the state's policy to discipline the Kurdish people with hunger. In the construction works, we give priority to education in the first place. We are currently preparing an instructional programme on communes, assemblies and self-rule for the inhabitants of our neighborhoods. We see now that we will be able to overcome all the problems through the works of our communes and neighborhood assemblies without a need for any institution of the state. Our neighborhoods do no more face problems such as theft, while arguments are being eliminated through the law commissions formed by the people themselves.”