JINHA

AMED – Sur neighborhood residents are nervous about drug gangs and incidents of sexual harassment in Sur, even if pro-government media say that "peace has been secured" in the district.

Diyarbakır’s Sur district became home to an historic resistance. Pro-government media has reported the ongoing “ban” as, “peace has been secured” in the district. Citizens those who returned their homes after the lifting of ban in their neighborhoods say they have been exposed to a new danger. While some citizens claim that police “support the drug gangs”, young women aged 13-14 have been reported to be subjected to harassment and forced to spy for the state.

Citizens, who are disturbed by police on patrol, always patrol in the neighborhoods said, “The police officers on patrol in the neighborhoods are well-dressed and handsome. They have tea or coffee in the streets. They have tried to hobnob with the people. They often try to talk with girls aged 13 and 14.”

One woman, who was subjected to harassment in the neighborhood by police, said, “I use the doors of walls of Sur to return home. One day, I used a door again and one civilian vehicle stopped me. The man in the vehicle spoke Kurdish very well. First, I thought he could be one of my relatives. He threw a paper to me and told me ‘I can take you to your home by car.’ When I heard that I began to run away.”

Citizens don’t want to give their names and all of them are nervous about drug gangs and incidents of sexual harassment in their neighborhoods by saying, “The state allows drug gangs to enter the district in order to take revenge from Sur.”

(mm/hu/fk/gd)