Dozens of armored vehicles, water cannons and Riot Police units have “taken precautions” in the Alipaşa neighborhood to avoid any incident during the demolition. As the demolition efforts draw close to completion, the second phase is going to be the demolition of the Lalebey neighborhood.

There has been no water in the neighborhood for two weeks, and when they appeal to the Municipality, Governorate and the Water Works, the residents are told there is nothing they can do and that the orders came from Ankara.

The demolition started with no regard to property owners’ demands, continued without waiting for the result of the stay of execution, and now is almost completed in the Alipaşa neighborhood. Many protested the police cutting off and surrounding several parts of the neighborhood with barriers. The police demanded the evacuation of some 30 still inhabited homes without incident. In Friday’s demolitions, dozens of armored police vehicles and riot police units were on duty alongside the construction equipment. Journalists are not allowed into the area surrounded by the barriers where the demolition continues.

“IT WILL BE OUR TURN WHEN DEMOLITION FINISHES IN ALİPAŞA”

Emrah Çınar lives in Tarancı street in the Lalebey neighborhood adjacent to the Alipaşa neighborhood. Çınar stated that after close to a thousand homes were demolished in Alipaşa many people moved into their neighborhood as renters, but it will be their turn in the second phase of the demolition. Çınar said they have been tense for months due to the demolition in the next neighborhood, and added that the Lalebey neighborhood is also about to perish if nobody helps them.

WATER WILL TURN BACK ON IF ANKARA ALLOWS IT

Abdulvahap Kaya lives in Bel Street in the Lalebey neighborhood. Kaya stated that they haven’t had water for two weeks and they appealed to the officials to resolve the issue. Kaya continued: “We went to the neighborhood mukhtar. He said: ‘When I go somewhere with you, they get mad at me. They tell me I encourage you.’ So we gathered in the neighborhood and went to the Municipality. They sent us to the Governorate. The Governor did not meet with us, and the officials there sent us to Diyarbakır Water Works (DİSKİ). DİSKİ officials said: ‘We can’t turn the water back on. The orders came from Ankara, we are acting in accordance with their orders.’ If they won’t demolish our neighborhood, then why have they cut off the water? It will be Lalebey’s turn when all the demolition in Alipaşa is completed, and then it will be the other neighborhoods. The officials deny it but the demolition order includes all of the Sur district.”