JINHA

COLEMÊRG - As police and soldiers order residents of the town of Yüksekova to evacuate the town, women in the area are refusing to leave.

In the town of Yüksekova (Kurdish name Gever), local residents have declared self-government in six neighborhoods. As in other towns in Kurdistan, young residents have taken up self-defense to protect the people from police raids. As the local self-defense forces took the streets on Monday, soldiers and police attempted to attack. Shopkeepers closed their shutters as short clashes broke out.

Yesterday morning, daily life continued. Soldiers toured the streets ordering residents to abandon the town, but women's very presence in their gardens showed their defiance. Women returned to their yards, set up their samovars, and chatted while watching their children. Speaking with JINHA, the women said they would continue life as normal in Yüksekova.

"For two days now, the state has been throwing tear gas and bombs at our neighborhoods. Yesterday, the state set our house on fire," said Telüzer Hülik. "It's not a good idea to oppress people; oppression always finds its owner."

Resident Gurbet Kaya said that neighborhood women were on call 24 hours a day to protect the youth defending the neighborhood. She has helped cook for the young men and women guarding the trenches.

"We're happy here with our children, as long as the police and soldiers don't come into our neighborhoods," said Gurbet.

Local Sarya Temelli said the military and police presence left her nervous. She was frustrated that after years of struggling for freedom, she was faced with war.

"We have children; so does Erdoğan," she said, referring to the Turkish president. "We want our children to go to school and live normally. But Erdoğan sends his own child abroad while he makes police and soldiers do the killing.

"We won't ever leave our neighborhood and our Gever," said Sarya. "We'll be here until we die. So let the soldiers and police leave."

(at/gc/cm)