ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Turkish government says it will resettle any resident from the town of Sur in Istanbul or other areas if they have issues with a proposed state plan for reconstruction of the district that has been destroyed in months of fighting between the army and Kurdish rebels.
“Buildings have been constructed in Mardin .If they want, we will give them residential units there. We could give them in other cities, including Istanbul. If they ask for the money to build homes themselves, we will do that and tell them 'make your house in line with our plans," said Mehmet Ozhaseki, Turkey's minister of environment and urbanization.
The minister said that the residents will be given the necessary funds and location recommendations if they preferred to move out of Sur to other parts of the country.
“We will offer them some suggestions,” Ozhaseki said. “We will give them necessary money if they wish to rebuild their houses themselves. But, if they reject it, we will give them residential units,”
The minister said that the suggested areas include Mardin and Diyarbakir, too.
The historic Sur district of Diyarbakir has been most affected in several months of heavy fighting between the Turkish army and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) with many of its ancient sites and residential homes destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
Ozhaseki said that the government would start meeting and negotiating with local residents on the reconstruction and compensation plans.
Mehmet Kaya, a Kurdish researcher said the proposal was “insulting,” because “People want Sur to remain Sur. They have history here. To compare a city to another won’t preserve its spirit,”
In an interview with Rudaw former municipality chief of Diyarbakir Abdullah Demirbas claimed that Ankara’s plan for Sur dated back to before the recent clashes, believing it was intended to change the image and history of the Kurdish town.
“Turkey has had plans to demolish Sur and erect new buildings in it,” Demirbas said.
"They have had this kind of plan for a long time,” he went on to say. “In 2008 especially the governor and the minister removed me from my post because they were planning to demolish Sur and erect modern buildings."
Ankara says it will invest some $9 billion in reconstructing the country’s southeast Kurdish region.
“Buildings have been constructed in Mardin .If they want, we will give them residential units there. We could give them in other cities, including Istanbul. If they ask for the money to build homes themselves, we will do that and tell them 'make your house in line with our plans," said Mehmet Ozhaseki, Turkey's minister of environment and urbanization.
The minister said that the residents will be given the necessary funds and location recommendations if they preferred to move out of Sur to other parts of the country.
“We will offer them some suggestions,” Ozhaseki said. “We will give them necessary money if they wish to rebuild their houses themselves. But, if they reject it, we will give them residential units,”
The minister said that the suggested areas include Mardin and Diyarbakir, too.
The historic Sur district of Diyarbakir has been most affected in several months of heavy fighting between the Turkish army and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) with many of its ancient sites and residential homes destroyed or damaged beyond repair.
Ozhaseki said that the government would start meeting and negotiating with local residents on the reconstruction and compensation plans.
Former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu announced in April that the government would rebuild Sur in the form of Spain’s Toledo which was destroyed during the Spanish civil war, a proposal that was rejected outright by people in Diyarbakir.
Mehmet Kaya, a Kurdish researcher said the proposal was “insulting,” because “People want Sur to remain Sur. They have history here. To compare a city to another won’t preserve its spirit,”
In an interview with Rudaw former municipality chief of Diyarbakir Abdullah Demirbas claimed that Ankara’s plan for Sur dated back to before the recent clashes, believing it was intended to change the image and history of the Kurdish town.
“Turkey has had plans to demolish Sur and erect new buildings in it,” Demirbas said.
"They have had this kind of plan for a long time,” he went on to say. “In 2008 especially the governor and the minister removed me from my post because they were planning to demolish Sur and erect modern buildings."
Ankara says it will invest some $9 billion in reconstructing the country’s southeast Kurdish region.
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