Police arrest protesters in earthquake-stricken Hatay

After the February 6 earthquake devastated Hatay, the uncertainty over the “reserve zones” and anger among locals are mounting. In areas designated as such, even residents whose buildings were undamaged in the earthquake, face the risk of being dispossessed and evicted.

The police intervened against the locals who protested the inclusion of Akasya, Aksaray and Saraykent neighborhoods in Antakya as "reserve areas" by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. The events unfolded in front of a gas station on Şükrü Balcı Street in Saraykent where the police violently detained some protesters.

🔴 Hatay'da 'rezerv alan' protestosuna polis müdahalesi

🗣️ Yurttaşların 'rezerv alan' belirsizliğine tepki gösterdiğini belirten CHP Hatay Milletvekili @nerminyldrmkara, “Kolluğun müdahalesi kabul edilemez” dedi.

🗞️ @VecihCuzdan'ın haberihttps://t.co/xVs4IBJ4zv pic.twitter.com/uxZyroi2T7

— bianet (@bianet_org) June 6, 2024

İsmail Ceylan, Hatay Provincial Director of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change Hatay, who came to the region after the incidents, said, “We do not have an application in the 22nd Region, that is, in the ‘blue striped area’ as you call it. We do not have a project for the moment. I especially request you to take advantage of the support provided by the state so that our citizens whose houses were demolished can easily rebuild their own houses."

Some locals reacted by shouting “My house is undamaged, I don't want it” and “You're lying”.

Nermin Yıldırım Kara: This police intervention is unacceptable

Reached on the phone by bianet, Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy for Hatay, Nermin Yıldırım Kara said, “Today's protests were organized to get a clear answer as to whether or not the houses of our earthquake victims are in the reserve area status. The citizens wanted to protest this situation and defend their rights because the information on the website of the Hatay Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change and the ministry do not match."

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5 December 2023

"We are a city that was struck by earthquake and people are objecting to something they consider a threat. How can these people be arrested? The intervention of the police is unacceptable. Look, there are also undamaged, or slightly damaged houses in those areas declared as reserve zones. Minister Özhaseki has previously stated, 'We usually declare empty areas as reserve zones. Therefore, we have nothing to do with people's undamaged houses. You can carry on living there.' In response, people made renovations and reinforcements to their houses, spending millions of liras."

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“There can be no such a method”

"They presented a document saying the whole city of Antakya is a 'reserve zone’ and told locals, 'Evacuate your house, otherwise we will evict by force. There is no logic to this! This is the main objection of people. This is also our objection. Don't touch the undamaged houses and let people live in the houses with little damage. There is no sufficent or healthy housing left in Antakya anyway. And they are telling whole neighborhoods here to evacuate within 15 days. Where will these people go? There can be no such a method."

(VC/DT)