In its report on the savagery in Cizre, DBP announced that 80 percent of the district was damaged, and nearly 300 people died-majority of who are babies, elderly and other civilians.

The DBP (Party of Democratic Regions) Committee shared the results of its investigation in Cizre on March 10 and 11 with the public. DBP announced that 80 percent of the district was damaged, and nearly 300 people died-majority of who are babies, elderly and other civilians. Below are the points that the DBP Committee included in its report:

1. 80 percent of the district was damaged due to state forces’ tank shelling,

2. State forces have been treating all residents of Cizre as potential criminals and enemy combatants,

3. The majority of the district’s neighborhoods, primarily Cudi, Nur, Sur and Yasef, were negatively affected by the 80 days-long curfew,

4. Nearly 500 buildings were completely destroyed whereas more than 2000 buildings were damaged,

5. State forces illegally occupied residents’ houses that were not destroyed,

6. State forces destroyed residents’ furniture, refrigerators, televisions, and air conditioners,

7. State forces fired at closets and destroyed civilians’ clothes,

8. State forces excreted on civilians’ beds,

9. State forces exposed women’s lingerie in rooms where they wrote insulting remarks on the walls,

10. The water and sewage infrastructure of the district got critically damaged,

11. Nearly 300 people were killed-majority of who are babies, elderly and other civilians,

12. Tens of people were burnt in 3 basements and many of these people were buried in the cemetery of the nameless without any identification,

13. Bodies can still be found in the rubbles of the buildings,

14. Body parts were found in the rubbles of the building,

15. There were bodies tortured, amputated, and cut in half,

16. Cat and dog corpses were displayed on the streets for intimidation purposes,

17. Nationalist, sexist and racist remarks were written on the walls,

18. State forces implemented hostile measures that aimed at intimidating and collectively punishing the local population.

Our demands are:

1. The bank debts of Cizre’s residents’ should be postponed since the economy of the district is completely destroyed,

2. Democratic politics should be re-initiated in order to prevent similar catastrophes from happening in the future,

3. Locals should not be abandoned and national and international committees should be allowed to visit the district,

4. As opposed to urban transformation programs, programs that meet the locals’ needs for shelter, food, education and health should be carried out,

5. The commission led by the Bar Association should punitively and legally pursue the events that transpired in the district.

We would like to emphasize once again that immense pain, savagery and suffering was experienced in Cizre during the curfew that lasted 80 days. It is possible to witness the humiliating and painful effects of the savagery in Cizre in the faces of the district’s residents. Despite all that has happened, people are resilient and hopeful. Residents’ remarks such as ‘we are ready for anything, so that other people do not have to face what we face’ reminded us of our responsibilities. As part of these responsibilities, we note that showing solidarity and sharing pain can only happen through resisting with the spirit of Newroz.