Fiskaya people gather against destruction

Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Saliha Aydeniz, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır Deputy Semra Güzel, and Chamber of City Planners Diyarbakır Branch Co-chair Çekdar Taşkıran met with the residents of the Dicle and Feritköşk neighborhoods in Amed’s (Diyarbakır) Yenişehir district, also known as Fiskaya, which is wanted to be demolished through a “risky area” decision. Members of the party and residents of the neighbourhood met in a coffee shop to discuss what they could do to stop the demolition.

The head of Feritköşk neighborhood, Mehmet Ali Şentürk, said that they will not sign any decision for the demolition of their living space. Şentürk stated, “We shall stand upright. This is something we are aware of.. We were left all alone here. We had no one to back us up. They should come and kill us if they are going to force us out of here. It makes no difference whether I die or my neighborhood is destroyed.”

Speaking after, DBP Co-Chair Saliha Aydeniz stressed that they stand in solidarity with the community in their fight against destruction. “What the headman said is significant,” Aydeniz stated and added “Here, public opinion should be formed. It is about people’s misery and the economy. We will stand by you legally and politically in the face of this persecution of humanity. First and foremost, our language, culture, and Kurdishness are all ignored. The only reason they chose this neighbourhood is that it is populated by Kurds and individuals who were forced to flee their villages in the 1990s. We will remain by your side until the very end.”