Şırnak, one of the Kurdish cities which the Turkish state attacked with all its might following the declaration of self-governance, witnessed a historic resistance for self-rule by the Kurdish people against the extremely intensified bombardments of the state forces for 82 days.

During and following three months of curfew and siege, 70 percent of the city was torn down by the state forces. The city still remains under a de facto siege for the past two years since the removal of the curfew.

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputy for Şırnak, Aycan İrmez spoke to ANF about the process of all-out attacks by the state and the all-out struggle by the people.

“ŞIRNAK HAS BEEN THE PILOT AREA FOR THE ANNIHILATION PLAN”

Talking about the state policy against Şırnak city, İrmez said the following: "Şırnak is a city, that has risen up against the state, its governments' policies and their rule of domination many a time. Şırnak is a city of resistance, that always defended its values, protecting its place in Kurdistan, its Kurdish identity and its mother tongue. As the Turkish state understood this, it executed a very special strategic policy on Şırnak. This policy they conducted until the nineties in that manner. It has been every time the city Şırnak, which the Turkish state targeted for its pilot experiments of annihilation and crackdown. A process was initialized, that had almost all the leaders of the HDP taken into custody and arrested, following the demolitions and massacres in the towns of Şırnak, Cizre, Silopi and İdil. But this was only one step towards the wider annihilation plan. By eliminating the Kurds from the political stage, they executed successfully their plan of political genocide and obliteration."

“ŞIRNAK FACED SYSTEMATIC OPPRESSION SINCE THE OTTOMAN ERA”

İrmez stated that the Turkish government saw the spirit of Şırnak’s people to aid one another and their resisting attitude, and decided therefore to have Şırnak evacuated as soon as possible and perpetrate a genocide on its identity. She stressed that the state has fabricated during the "curfew" in Şırnak a policy that opposes all law and justice and universal morals.

İrmez continued saying: "Since Ottoman era the people of Şırnak have never submitted to the state's policies. The Ottoman policies, the state policies from the nineties onwards, every ruler and every government attempted to commit here genocides to wipe out the culture and identity. To name one example, they demolished the historic Castle of Evdirrehmanê Sor, which told the story of the times of Şırnak’s great resistance and had been therefore of great historic value and an important symbol. The castle was a strategic bulwark that effectively prevented the Ottomans to invade the region and Turkify it."

İrmez stated that the policies in the framework of the Şark Islahat Planı (Eastern Reformation Plan), which was laid out by Turkey following the uprising led by Sheik Seid in 1925, have been reinstated and reactivated now in 2017 once again. The Settlement Law is being executed currently under the name of "urban renovation".

İrmez continued: "By employing so called 'guardians', they want to legitimize espionage. The Turkish government came to realize that by means of their police and soldiers they cannot get any near to the folk and intends now to infiltrate the people on its own. They have turned Şırnak into one big base. Almost all state institutions here have been fortified with concrete. This also proves how much they fear the people."

“ŞIRNAK BECAME A SYNDROME OF THE STATE”

HDP MP went on saying that despite all sorts of violence, havoc, destruction, pillages, threats and imprisonments the Turkish state wreaked, the people of Şırnak did not knuckle down, did not abandon their land, did not renounce their identity and still carry on their resistance on this scale.

İrmez stressed that: "Against all sorts of attempts of the Turkish state, which is enforcing a 'Either you submit or lose your head' policy, the people made their firm stance clear with an unyielding and resisting spirit. The Turkish state was stricken with fear by this situation, which in fact turned to a syndrome plaguing it."

“THE KURDISH PEOPLE WILL PREVAIL, IT IS JUST A MATTER OF TIME”

HDP MP pointed out that the state is trying to play the people of Şırnak off against each other, but that would never succeed, because the people have forged a very strong and resisting unity among themselves supporting each other wherever needed.

İrmez said that they never expected and will never expect the slightest thing from the government and their rulers whatsoever, but they will march on their common path together with their people. And side by side with their people, they will shoulder all burden as much as they can.

HDP MP for Şırnak pointed out that the Kurdish people will prevail no matter what, it is merely a matter of time, and added: "We believe that all hardship, violence and oppression has a time limit. The time will come that will make clear that forcible subjection is no more possible. This people, that have resisted hundreds of years against anguish and terror, know well what is right and what is wrong. And in those terms they stand up for their identity and will defend it until the end of time."