ŞIRNEX - Bana village in Basa district has been under military blockade for 2 months. Village residents drew attention that the practices of the 90s were in effect and stated that they took their animals to a different village and could not go to their fields.

 

Bana village in Şirnex's Basa (Güçlükonak) district has been under military blockade for about two months. The reason for the blockade in the village, where village ranger duty has been imposed on citizens since the 1990s and has been evacuated twice, is military operations. Village residents cannot go to the fields or graze their animals there, which are their only source of income due to the blockade. For this reason, village residents are forced to take their animals to Keresha and Sherefan villages. There are two separate points in the village under blockade. Citizens are subjected to identity checks here. Citizens are not allowed to leave their homes after 12:00 at night. While the blockade in the village continued, the governorship made a new "ban" decision. Bana village rural is among the 5 regions where the governorship has banned entry and exit for 15 days.

 

'RICE FIELDS WILL DRY'

 

Explaining the blockade in the village, Muhammed Ali Ece (75), one of the citizens, said: "We make a living from animal husbandry and rice. The governorship declared a curfew for 15 days. After 15 days, our rice fields will dry. The village's animals were also removed from the village. We need to take our animals to the plateau and graze. Today, this village is living the policies of the 1990s."

 

Meryem Özkan (53), one of the villagers, condemned the ban and blockade. Özkan drew attention that they cannot leave their homes due to the blockade and said: “We cannot go to our neighbors. We had to take our sheep out of the village and send them to Keresha village. We have fruits and trees in the fields. But it was forbidden to go. We want this ban and blockade to be lifted. Our trees and rice will be dry in 15 days. Then what's the point?"

 

'COME AND SEE THE REGION'

 

Abdullah Özkan (70), one of the villagers, wanted the ban and blockade to end. Özkan also expressed similar concerns and said: “We want everyone to come here and see it. Let them hear our voices before the rice fields we planted with great effort dry up. No one should come after our fields dry up. Before the 15-day ban, they would check our ID cards and tell us to go to the fields at 10:00 in the morning and return at 16:00. In this way, they allowed us to irrigate our fields and gardens. However, this was also banned with the announcement made in the mosque two days ago. For a week, soldiers have been standing at the entrance of the village and checking everyone who comes and goes."