Gazi neighbourhood has, since its establishment, been a place where revolutionaries, socialists and the Kurdistan Freedom Movement have been strong; for this reason, it has been a neighbourhood on the state’s radar in every period. Today, however, the neighbourhood is associated with gang wars, drug use and the police turning a blind eye to these.
Shaped by migration from Kurdistan and Anatolia after the 1980s, Gazi neighbourhood has always been known for its oppositional identity and has been a place specifically targeted by the state.
Efforts to strip its oppositional identity
In the neighbourhood, which is still trying to preserve its oppositional identity, a major transformation is taking place through the special war practices carried out by the state. Walls that were once covered with slogans by revolutionary organisations now bear gang graffiti or the names of gang members who have died in gang wars. The residents, meanwhile, are becoming increasingly degenerated each day within a cycle of gambling, prostitution and drugs.
In the neighbourhood, which has been divided into areas by gangs, clashes mostly occur over violations of territories and extortion. In a place where it is now even possible to see weapons in the hands of children, degeneration continues to grow day by day.
Young people using drugs in front of homes at all hours
In Gazi neighbourhood, the age of drug use has dropped as low as eight. It is now possible to encounter people using drugs at any hour of the day on every corner, on main streets and in side streets. S.A., stating that the neighbourhood has become this degenerated over the past five years, said that people use drugs in front of their home and that no measures have been taken despite repeatedly reporting the situation to the police station.
T.R., who spent his childhood in the neighbourhood and still runs a business there, said that a past period has now come to an end and pointed out that restoring the neighbourhood would only be possible through a very difficult and long struggle. He stated that people even try to use drugs in the toilets of mosques and cemevis, and that for this reason the toilets of places of worship have been locked; he added that drugs are sold especially in front of schools and near the police.
E.S., who said they have witnessed drug use even in the cemetery, which is an important and sacred area for the neighbourhood, stated that cemeteries are no longer used after the reactions, but that Gazi Urban Forest in particular has become a central place for drugs and prostitution. He said that despite all complaints, the police have done nothing.
Theft carried out to fund drug use
A visible increase in theft has also emerged in the neighbourhood in recent times. A resident said they had repeatedly told the police that, over the past few months, people had been entering buildings and stealing shoes left in front of doors, but the police did not come, and they have now begun to take their own security measures. The resident added that building doors have been locked, and security cameras installed, yet thefts continue.
O.R. said the thefts are carried out solely to obtain daily drug money, and that for this reason incidents such as breaking into homes are not common; instead, items that can be easily turned into cash are stolen. He pointed out that, in addition to shoes, construction materials are particularly targeted.
Residents we spoke to named certain workplaces and venues where they claim drugs are sold; however, as these allegations could not be fully verified, we are not publishing the names.
The streets of Gazi neighbourhood are filled with examples that confirm these accounts. Even on the main avenue, where thousands of people pass each day, and in a neighbourhood where police are present on almost every corner, armoured vehicles patrol and informant activity is widespread, it is possible to witness people using drugs.
In the neighbourhood, where pressure on political organisations is at an extreme level, drugs have been turned into a part of everyday life.
Leave a Reply