Newala Qesaba: Villas being built on buried pain

Photo: Mezopotamya Agency

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Luxurious villas are being built in Newala Qesaba (River of the Butches) which is a mass grave for those who lost their lives in massacres of Armenians and Kurds.

Newala Qesaba, the story of which has been told in many songs, books, and films so far, is close to the city center in Siirt, Türkiye and covers an area of 405 decares according to the figures of the Human Rights Association (İHD).

Newala Qesaba is known as a place where many Armenians killed in 1915 were buried in mass graves. Besides, the PKK members or people who were the victims of unidentified murders after the armed conflicts that started following the 1980s have also been buried in this area.

Mahsum Korkmaz (Egît), a PKK member killed in the Gabar Mountains in 1986 is also known to be buried here and there are reports that at least 300 Kurds are buried in this area.

However, it was never possible to make clear the whole picture. Digging was carried out for the first time here on April 22, 1989, and the bones of eight people were found in only a few hours. The digging was stopped on the same day with the instruction of the governorship and no work was carried out since then.

However, over time, the river area was zoned for construction. Also made a dump area for a period, first, a double highway was built here. Then a building permit was issued for a wedding-ceremony hall.

As if this was not enough, a Police Academy was built in the area where people think mass graves are located.

And now villas are being built in the area where hundreds of Kurdish and Armenian people are buried without graveclothes.

A sign was placed for the new project. The project is undertaken by a company called "War Construction" (War Yapı). Sales continue in an office and it has been told that there are police officers, soldiers, and AKP members among those who applied in order to purchase.

Nearly a hundred villas are being constructed and nobody is being allowed to approach the site. Cameras have been installed at many points in the construction area next to the police station and the highway. It was reported that besides the cameras, people driving vehicles that are not official cars have been threatening the people who want to shoot pictures or videos.

Fethi Balaman from Mezopotamya Agency reported that they have been able to shoot images of the construction nevertheless and that there are vehicles belonging to the Siirt Municipality run by appointed trustees in the area constructing roads.

It was also reported that 8-floor apartments and a swimming pool are going to be constructed in the area next.

Objections to construction in the area

Objections were raised to the opening of the area as a construction area. 

Lately, the bar association and many other professional associations and non-governmental organizations issued a joint statement on April 11, 2022, and objected to the construction work in the area.

On April 13, 2022, a delegation of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) including the group deputy chairperson Meral Danış- Beştaş, and MPs Hüda Kaya, Tülay Hatimoğulları, Garo Paylan, Ömer Faruk Gergerlioğlu, Hişyar Özsoy, and Sıdık Taş went to Newala Qesaba and wanted to make examinations in the area, together with the representatives of non-governmental organizations of the city. The police stopped them from making any examinations and the delegation had to leave after speaking to the press. (EMK/PE)