Anlı: Sur’s Demographic Structure Intended to be Changed

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Diyarbakır Co-Mayor, Fırat Anlı has remarked that the resident of Sur, which has witnessed clashes and subjected to urgent expropriation will be sent to the other cities which aim to change city’s cultural and demographic structure.

Minister of Environment and Urbanization, Mehmet Özhaseki interviewing to Abdülkadir Selvi from Hürriyet daily has said three options will be offered to the residents of Diyarbakır’s Sur, which has suffered major damages in the clashes.

According to the news, the citizens will either receive their money, hand their land title to the state or will be able to pick a house in one of the projects of 3,000 residents built in various neighborhoods in Diyarbakır and pay the difference in price between their former and new house, and the third option is that he/she will be able to buy a house built by the Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) in another city.

Three demands

Fırat Anlı speaking to bianet said Suriçi Protection and Sustenance Platform consisted of Diyarbakır Municipality, district municipalities, trade associations and NGOs have three basic demands against the three demands of the government aiming to change the demographic structure of Sur.

“Our first demand is that conditions for the residents of Sur to be able to live there be provided.

“Our second demand is that in this process it must be advanced with local dynamics. So it must be a dynamic containing local administrations, NGOs, trade associations and academy.

“The third one is that the state must compensate the loss due to its principle of objectivity, however, we only hear inconsistent speeches from the President, Prime Minister and the Ministers. It is not possible to mention any concrete steps, plans or projects.

“The city’s demographic structure will be changed. The poor will be sent and benefits will be made to the rick in a sense. Recently, it is talked that the refugees to come from Europe due to the Readmission Agreement will be placed in here. A camp of 90,000 population is being spoken of. It is not acceptable to create new risk in an area where there is already armed conflict.

“Approximately 22,000 people have abandoned their homes. There is still curfew in effect on four neighborhoods, no one knows what is going on.

“Over 1,000 mass lawsuits have been brought in the name of institutions and individuals against urgent expropriation. Our hope is that law will not permit this execution”. (NV/TK)