Handan Tufan/JINHA

IZMIR – Women in a poor neighborhood facing demolition in a town in Izmir province have announced that they will not leave their homes.

The women residents of the Atatürk and Soğukpınar neighborhoods in the town of Kemalpaşa say the government's declaration of so-called "health hazards" in their neighborhood is an excuse for gentrification.

The state recently quietly announced an "urban transformation" project for the neighborhoods by way of a notice in the official gazette. With Mayor AhmetUğurlu and Environment and Urbanism Minister İdrisGüllüce holding a ceremony, the project has officially launched.

But the government has never been able to produce any report demonstrating the "health hazards" they say justify the demolition project. Turkey is notorious for the AKP'sbloated construction projects and hasty land grabs targeting poor neighborhoods.

"I don't want to live anywhere except this house," says local woman EşeKasap. "Everything I have is here; my memories are here. I dug the foundation for this house. I'll never turn it over to urban transformation."

She says she is extremely skeptical of the decision to demolish the neighborhood. There has never been any survey or investigation of the neighborhood to justify the "health hazard" claims.

Müjgan Kasap has lived in the neighborhood for 20 years. She is also skeptical of the "health hazard" claim. She says the neighborhood is safe and the buildings here have withstood earthquakes in the past.

"Someone who knows something about this issue would have to come check. We know that no one has ever come here. This was a decision made from a desk somewhere," she said.

"As the women of this neighborhood, we will resist," she said.

(fk/cm)