Piroz Zırığ/JINHA

GUMGUM – “The state forced us to migrate from our village and now acting as if we don’t exist,” said Emine Doldur, who had left her village in Maraş by not accepting to be village guards during the State of Emergency imposed in 1990s and returned to her village after years.

Emine doldur migrated to Antep from the Turunçlu village of Maraş’s Pazarcık district by refusing the village guard system imposed by the state. She returned to her village with her husband after five years. Being subjected to forced migration Emine and her husband found only stones from their home when they returned to their village where the population of Alevi has.

Emine said, “We are still experiencing the effects of migration even if years passed. Our life never changes back before the migration.” She underlined the war period in 1990s affected Kurdish Alevi villages and said she was forced to leave her village due to the atrocity of the state. Emine stated that they returned to their village after years because they couldn’t adopt the life in city.

“The windows, doors and everything in our home were taken and the only remaining things from our home were walls. First the state forced us to migrate from our village and now the state acts as if we don’t exist. The neighboring villages have roads, health center and other opportunities; however, we provided our electricity and water by ourselves. We don’t have a road. The reason is that we don’t accept the village guard system. If we were village guards, we would have everything. We have faced many difficulties in this village so far.”

(rt/fk/gd)