JINHA

ŞIRNEX - Besna Erden had to leave her house, which had been buried twice, as a result of pressure village guards during the period of Prime Minister Tansu Çiller. Then, she built a house in the Turgut Özal neighborhood of İdil with her family. Their house was demolished by the AKP government that time. Besna summarized what is going on in one sentence, "I have become a refugee in my own land three times."

Besna Erdem lives in the İdil district of Şırnak. Her life story is summary of the war and oppression which have been imposed for 40 years in Kurdistan region. They lived in the Pelisi village of Cizre before came to İdil. The chief village guard Kamil Atak and his team buried her house because Besna and her family had refused to be village guards. Besna and her family had to leave their village and go to the Xarabi village of İdil. Besna tried to live with her 13 children in the village. Her house was buried by village guards again in Xarabi. She had to move to the Turgut Özal neighborhood of İdil with her 13 children. They built a house in the town with a heavy heart. However, they were faced with genocidal attacks which began against the demand of self-government. Besna house has been demolished in genocidal attacks as thousands of houses in the Turgut Özal and Yeni neighborhoods.

We met with Besna in her garden. She began to rebuild the new life like other women in İdil. Besna said, "They have demolished my house three times, I have become refugee three times." Her words have summarized the savagery not only in İdil but also in Mesopotamia. Besna continued to talk by saying, "Tansu Çller became Prime Minister. The chief village guard Kamil Atak and his team buried her house. We had to leave our land. They buried our village. We had to go to İdil. They did the same in İdil, too. They buried my house. I have become refugee in my land three times."

Besna stated that she and her family had to return to Xarabi village and they lived in damaged mosque. "They buried everything. They told us, "Leave here," I will never my land to anyone. I will never leave my home. I won't go to another countries or lands. We won't leave these lands even if they kill us."

(ht/gc/gd)