DİYARBAKIR - Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) City Planners Diyarbakır Branch issued a statement regarding the ignoring of the contract signed between the Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization and the property owners in Sur district, where the ban, demolition and construction has been continuing for the last 5 years.

 

In the statement, it was said that the 'ban', which was declared 5 years ago in 6 neighborhoods of Sur, was still on. "The military operation carried out against Sur ended on 9 March 2016 with the official statement of the Ministry of Interior. However, since 2 December 2015, curfews have been repeatedly implemented and still continue in 6 neighborhoods of Sur."

 

"Urgent Expropriation" also cover neighborhoods where there were no conflicts, said the statement adding: "For these reasons, demolition was initiated in Sur, which forms the historical and cultural memory of the city. Despite the objections of all the dynamics in the city, demolition continued. While the demolition process is continuing, a Reconciliation Commission was created by the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization. In this context, three options were offered and the vast majority of property owners agreed to stay where they were born. However, property owners who preferred to stay in Sur were called to the Provincial Directorate of Environment and Urbanization in the past days, and their contracts were canceled, and shops were built instead."

 

In the statement it was stated that the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization had offered families the possibility to buy a place where they were before in Sur, but this agreement was later ignored.

TMMOB City Planners Diyarbakır Branch announced that they will be with Sur people along the legal processes.