Civillians not allowed in their villages for years

2021-09-28 11:07:15


	ŞIRNAK - Stating that they can not enter their villages due to security policies in Şırnak and surrounding districts, protested the pro-government media and said: "We are not allowed in our villages because we rejected to work for you as rangers."

	Due to the "security" policies implemented in Şırnak and its districts in the 90s, hundreds of villages were burned down and thousands of people were subjected to forced migration. Recently, various incentive packages have been prepared by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization for peoples return to their villages. Pro-government media often present news with headlines claiming people can now go back to their villages after 20 years. However, it is stated that only the village guards, who are actually Kurds who agreed to work for the government can enter those villages, while thousands of civillians can go back to their villages, vineyards and gardens. Entrances to dozens of villages located at the foot of the Cudi and Gabar Mountains in Şırnak are still not allowed.

	 

	'WE WANT TO GO BACK TO OUR VILLAGE'

	 

	Mehmet Turuğ (42) who was forcibly removed with his family at the age of 15 from Şax (Çağlayan) village located at the foot of Cizre's Cudi Mountain, one of which was destroyed in 1994 and has been banned ever since, said that he has been waiting for the bans to be lifted for years. Explaining that they migrated to Turkish metropolises after their villages were burned and then returned to Cizre district in 1999, Turuğ said that after 1994, their villages were set on fire every year. Stating that there are no vineyards, gardens or trees left in their villages, Turuğ said that entry to some villages has been free in recent years, but the entrance to their own villages is still prohibited.

	 

	Noting that they have written hundreds of petitions to Şırnak Governorate, Cizre District Governorate and Provincial Gendarmerie Command to be able to go back to their villages, Turuğ said, "Today, we cannot earn a living in the city because of the high cost of living in the city. I have 5 children and I cannot work because there is no job. If we go to our village, we plant our land, look after animals and make a living. But that is not allowed."

	 

	Emphasizing that they were able to visit their villages for one day during the peace process Turug said, "The rangers can go in and out of these villages freely while we can't go back to our own home. Our generation is the last to leave the village. Our children know neither village life nor village culture. Our children do not know their land. We want to go back to our village like other citizens. Now we want our villages to be free and we want to raise our children in our villages."

	 

	SHE ONLY SAW HER VILLAGE TWICE IN 27 YEARS

	 

	65 year old Emine Duymak from Deştalala (Kırk Kuyu), one of the banned villages, said that they had vineyards, gardens and animals before their house was burned down. Speaking about the beauty of their village, Duymak stated that she has only been able to see her village twice in 27 years and said: “Even though we ask for permission to enter the village, it is not allowed for various reasons. The statement that the entrance to the villages is free is not true. If it was free, we would not stay in Cizre even for a moment, we would go back to our village.”

	 

	'ARE THEY PROTECTING THE VILLAGE FROM ME?'

	 

	Taybet Bayık (70) from the same village, stated that they had to leave everything there when their village was burned down and said, “I really miss my village. Our land, vineyard and garden were all burned down. They ban us from our village for security reasons. They see me and my chickens as terrorists. What security are they talking about? Are they protecting the village from me? Since we are not rangers, they do not allow us to enter the village. The supporters of the system can easily enter the village, but they do not allow us.”

	 

	 

	MA / Ömer Akın - Zeynep Durgut