Baydemir: "Proof of Discrimination" in Diyarbakir

Following the recent spat between Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and mayor Osman Baydemir, Erdogan had challenged Baydemir to prove his claim of discrimination against the municipality.

In response, Baydemir has listed projects that were not supported by the government and says that he presented a file to the Prime Ministerial Office in 2005.

In a statement made at the Democratic Society Party's  (DTP) office, Baydemir commented on the fact that the Diyarbakir Public Prosecution has initiated an investigation into his utterances. He said, "First of all, I did not start an argument. I used my right to reply to a provocation and to a long period of unfair criticism."

Baydemir relisted the evidence of "negative discrimination" that he had presented to the Prime Minsterial Office in August 2005:

• We have been waiting for the solid waste project for a year. We prepared a project according to EU standards and criteria. It should have been in third place among all projects, but was put in eighth place. Thus, it was not accepted into the 2007-2009 programme.
• Five files on municipal companies have not been taken to cabinet to be approved.
  
• We aimed to use an area of around 670,000 square metres for the city. Although there was provision for green space, the project was rejected by the Treasury and the land was not alloted to us
• We moved the Wood Market out of the city and were forced to buy land for the complex. Normally, municipalities are given land for such projects, but unfortunately we had to pay.
• The Tigris Valley Project has become a concrete, applicable product, but the State Planning Agency has not approved it.
• Despite our insistence, the Regional Development Agency was not founded in Diyarbakir.
  

Baydemir has promised to send an updated version of the report to all members of parliament. (EÜ/AG)