Drug use and gang activity, which have become increasingly visible in the district of Bağlar (Rezan) in Diyarbakır (Amed), have deepened to a level that can no longer be treated merely as a criminal issue. This reality emerging from the neighborhoods is not only drawing young people into a cycle of addiction but is also creating a new space in which authority is being questioned.
The reality on the streets tells a story that goes beyond official narratives. In recent years, particularly with the spread of synthetic drugs, the age of addiction has visibly declined. This is not only an individual collapse; it is also a process that is fragmenting the social fabric of neighborhoods, destabilizing family structures, and accelerating broader social disintegration. In the district, drugs no longer appear solely as a consequence, but increasingly as a foundational element in the formation of new criminal networks.
Gang formation becomes central to this dynamic. Structures shaped around drug trafficking do not merely carry out illegal economic activities; they also establish a form of “shadow order” within neighborhoods. An atmosphere emerges in which local shopkeepers are kept under pressure, young people are pushed to find a place within these networks, and violence becomes part of everyday life. The presence of such structures also raises questions about the gap between the visibility of authority and its actual effectiveness.
The frequently mentioned sense of a “void” in the district of Bağlar gains meaning precisely in this context. While poverty, unemployment, and limited social opportunities narrow alternatives for young people, gang structures rapidly fill this gap. Offering promises of belonging, income, and power, these groups become increasingly attractive to youth who feel excluded from the system. In this way, crime transforms from a matter of choice into a form of direction or pathway.
The current state of security policies remains insufficient to reverse this situation. Increased surveillance and operations fail to provide a solution because they do not address, and often avoid addressing, the root causes of the problem. The crisis in Rezan is not only about crime itself, but about the conditions that produce it. As long as disengagement from education, lack of employment, and weak social policies persist, drug use and gang formation will continue to reproduce themselves.
A social breaking point is being reached
Reducing the developments in the district to a mere “security gap” debate remains insufficient. The situation also reflects a problem of social policy, urbanization, and, more broadly, governance. In an environment where public services remain limited and young people struggle to build hope for the future, the strengthening of criminal networks is not surprising.
The growing prevalence of drug use and gang activity in Bağlar serves as a warning that extends beyond the boundaries of the district.
The most severe impact of the increasing spread of drug use in Rezan is seen among children. Testimonies from families in the district reveal that the problem has moved beyond an individual issue and now carries a broader social dimension.
I.A., who was forced to migrate from Diyarbakır after his son began using drugs at the age of 15 in 2017, described how the process unfolded: “At the time, we were living in the Yanık Köşk neighborhood of Bağlar. I have three children, and I do not distinguish between them. My son, who started using drugs, was attending high school. We realized the situation very late. We also made mistakes; if we had noticed earlier, perhaps it would not have come to this.”
I.A. said that certain individuals who later arrived in the neighborhood had begun selling drugs and described the sense of helplessness they experienced: “We later learned that a few young people who came to the neighborhood were involved in this. First, we went to the police and filed a complaint. They came and checked but said, ‘there is nothing.’ Yet the entire neighborhood knew that these individuals were selling drugs. We filed complaints many times as residents, but we received no results.”
I was attacked for filing a complaint
I.A. said that what he experienced did not end there and described the attack he faced after reporting drug dealers: “At the time, I was working at a bakery. One evening, while returning home, several people confronted me and asked, ‘Are you the one who reported us?’ before attacking me. From that moment on, I feared for both my own life and the safety of my children. We quickly gathered our belongings and moved to stay with relatives in Elazığ. I had to leave my job. We left everything behind. My son received treatment and recovered. We returned to our hometown in 2021, but one cannot help still feeling afraid.”
Drugs are being sold deliberately
Another family whose child was drawn into drug use pointed out that drug sales in the district have increased significantly in recent years. The family said: “It was not this widespread before. But especially after 2016, drug sales began to take place very openly at night.”
The family also indicated that a specific gang operates in an organized manner in the district and said that drugs are being deliberately spread across neighborhoods. They added: “Despite all the complaints, we have not seen any serious intervention. This situation is allowing drugs to spread openly in the neighborhoods.”
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