A deliberate destruction of historic homes and mansions can be seen in the most recent footage from the “banned” areas of the district where only the police and Housing Development Administration TOKİ officials can enter. Neighborhood residents have witnessed the demolition of the historic buildings and they say, “They first searched the historic buildings with detectors and then demolished them, even though most of them were not damaged.”

The level of destruction in the still “banned” areas of Sur is only just now surfacing. The curfew is still in place in the area where at least 2.780 buildings including historic houses have been torn down, and among the 250 buildings that are still standing, those that are not mosques, churches, schools and bath houses have been damaged.

Dabanoğlu neighborhood residents said some 2 months after the clashes ended in Sur on March 11, 2016, demolition units entered the banned area and started working. They said: “Last year, when the curfew was lifted in some streets of Dabanoğlu, we returned home. We could see the demolition efforts from our rooftops. They particularly worked at night with construction equipment. They picked out historic houses and digged under flood lights. We couldn’t see what they took out, but invariably the next day construction equipment would come in and tear the house to the ground. This went on for months.”

“THEY CHECKED HISTORIC HOUSES IN PARTICULAR”

Zahit E. from Dabanoğlu neighborhood said 85% of the buildings in Sur, still under curfew, have now been demolished. Zahit E. said they returned home after the curfew was partially lifted but the inner parts are still banned, and added: “For one year now, they have been demolishing historic houses in front of our eyes. Earlier they checked the historic stone houses in particular. Then they searched them with detectors. And in the night, they dug with machinery. They demolished the stone houses to the left and right of our home. There are still some that are partially standing. Our home was next to artist Bedri Ayseli’s home, after they demolished our home they searched and dug there as well. You can see it from here, the house is still standing but the digging to the left and right can still be seen.”

POLICE AND TOKİ UNITS PRESENT FOR THE DEMOLITION

Savaş neighborhood residents also said that the police and TOKİ officials were present in the demolitions in the beginning, and that the demolition of historic houses ended after the museum officials were allowed into the banned area. There are only around 20 historic buildings left standing in the area where the demolition efforts continue, and that these are barely standing. The neighborhood residents said, “One day before, after nightfall, people in civilian clothing go in and search with detectors, then they pull screens around the house and dig. They digged in the pantries, chimneys and water wells in historic houses. And when the morning came, the houses were demolished. 5-6 diggers worked simultaeously. Museum officials are allowed into the area since February, but they had already demolished what they could before the museum people arrived. The remaining historic buildings are left at the hands of fate, just like that.”

As repairs continue in buildings like the Kurşunlu Mosque, Paşa Bath House, Arap Şeyh Mosque, Şeyh Mathar Mosque, Suleyman Nazif Elementary School, Alparslan High School and Paşa Bath House, 97% of the 800 registered buildings have been demolished.