MARAŞ- Roads were split by the effect of the earthquake, hotels and many houses in the neighborhood were destroyed in İçmeler Neighborhood of Elbistan. A tent was sent to the neighborhood, where 60 bodies came from, days later.

 

The 7.7 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes centered in the Pazarcık of Maraş and Elbistan caused many destruction and loss of life in the region. The roads were split by the effect of the earthquake, hotels and many houses in the neighborhood were destroyed in the İçmeler District of Elbistan. A tent was sent to the neighborhood, where 60 bodies came from, days later. Some of the citizens continue to live in their damaged houses in the neighborhood where no debris has been removed. While three people who were under the rubble in the destruction on the day of the earthquake were rescued by the locals, 15 summer hotels in the neighborhood were destroyed. A decision was made to demolish the remaining hotels. Damage assessment works in the neighborhood started today.

 

'WE WILL NOT LEFT OUR LANDS'

 

While aid was delivered to the earthquake victims by volunteers immediately after the earthquake, state institutions did not visit the neighborhood. Demir family, whose houses are heavily damaged and who are trying to live in the tent they set up in their garden, stated that their grievances still continue despite all this time since the earthquake, and that they will not leave their land at any cost. Explaining that they will continue to live in the neighborhood, Zöhre Demir said: “We will continue to stay here no matter what. Of course, we have needs here, but we will fight against it."

 

'THE GOVERNMENT IS UNFAIR TO US'

 

Emphasizing that they will not leave their hometown, Ali Demir said: “We are an Alevi family and we will not leave because we have lived here for years. This too is a war. How far will we run? The best is to live in our own country. Days later, we took a bath in the tent with our own means. The government is unfair to us. The roads of our villages are still in mud. After the earthquake, we waited in stormy weather for 4 days and no help came to us. We provided all our facilities ourselves, we barely provided our water. After the earthquake, we took shelter in the Djemevi and stayed there for three nights. We waited for a long time for them to give us tents." 

 

Citizens living in other parts of İçmeler Neighborhood also expressed the same problems and demanded that the permanent accommodation should be provided to them.

 

MA / Adnan Bilen - Yusra Batihan