JINHA

AMED - 24-hour curfew "ban" was lifted in 14 streets of three neighborhoods yesterday in Sur after curfew continued for 175 days. However, the people can enter in only six streets. A woman, who watched her home from a roof, said, "How can I tell my children that there isn't our home and Sur anymore? Sur is our soul. They are trying to take our soul from us."

24-hour curfew, which was declared on December 2, 2015, has been imposed in Diyarbakır's Sur district for 176 days. The state's authorities announced that the curfew would be lifted yesterday in 14 streets of three neighborhoods. However, the people can enter only six streets after the curfew was lifted yesterday. The people met with a horrible sight when they entered the six streets. The banned streets weren't there anymore. Almost 17 streets have been completely cleared away. Sur people reacted to the situation and they said they will never give up and they will continue to live in Sur, if needed, they will set up tents on straight ground.

A woman couldn't find her home due to destruction in Sur. She stated that she had voted for the AKP, however, she regretted to vote for them and she said, "What does Erdoğan want from us? We are Kurdish; will he force us to be Turkish? We passed our life in Sur. Someday, we could find anything for eating, but we had neighbors. Erdoğan destroyed our homes and streets, what happens now? They are trying to shut the people up by giving them two liras. We don't accept their money; we want our homes and streets. Just Erdoğan is responsible for all that's happened, he demolished here. These lands are ours! The people those who don't want us must go. These lands are ours."

The woman, declined to be named, said, "I voted for the AKP to demolish our homes? Erdoğan plunged to death dozens of innocent people. As a Kurdish, I cannot accept these. Kurdish people are Kurds and their language is Kurdish. Don't keep silence, everyone must say stop. What happened in Sur can happen in other places, too. Enough, we don't want to see blood anymore."

Anothewr Sur woman, who stayed on a roof of a high rise building, watched the domislised houses. She said, "There was peace and happiness here. We were poor but happy. How can I tell my children that there isn't our home and Sur anymore? Sur is our soul. They are trying to take our soul from us. However, we won't leave Sur again. We did once but not twice. If needed, we will set up tent in Sur and we will live in the tent."

(bc-sg/gc/gd)