The curfew imposed in Şırnak city of Northern Kurdistan remains in force since March 14 although clashes between state forces and Civil Defense Units (YPS) ended months ago.

Out of the total 12 neighbourhoods in Şırnak centre, Dicle, Bahçelievler, Cumhuriyet, Gazipaşa, İsmetpaşa, Yeşilyurt and Yeni neighbourhoods have been torn down with bulldozers while homes and shops have been looted by state forces.

While 90% of the population had to move from the city, around 10 thousand residents who don’t want to leave home have been living in tents in the skirts of Cudi and Gabar mountains for the last seven months. With the weather turning cold, life in these tents is now getting much harder.

Şırnak Municipality, Union of Southeastern Anatolia Municipalities (GABB) and the Rojava Solidarity and Aid Association have worked on a joint project to provide 400 two-storey houses with two rooms and started the works already.

The Governorate of Şırnak has opposed the project and obstructed the works for the construction of houses on the property of Şırnak Municipality. The Governorate went on to threaten to demolish the houses in the event of construction, stating that no alternative projects will be allowed in the city.

HDP Şırnak MP Aycan İrmez spoke to ANF about the housing project which she said was opposed by both the Governorate and the government officials whom they met with on the matter.

İrmez stated that the houses to be constructed within the scope of the project, each being two-storey with two rooms, were meant to enable the displaced people to spend the winter in a bit comfortable conditions. She noted that the budget of the housing project was set to be provided by the Şırnak Municipality, Union of Southeastern Anatolia Region and the Rojava Solidarity and Aid Association.

"THE STATE WANTS TO MAKE THE MIGRATION PERMANENT"

İrmez remarked that the Municipality of Şırnak allocated the land needed for the project, works for which had already been started as the construction of houses was meant to begin very soon.

HDP Şırnak MP continued: "It is obvious that a political decision has been made on the issue. The state neither creates an alternative for the displaced people, nor allows us to realize our alternative. The destruction in Şırnak city has reached up to 60 percent by now. By obstructing the construction of these houses, they want to hinder the return of the people and make their migration permanent. The only thing they want is to aggravate the people more and make sure they do not turn back home."

"WE WILL DEVELOP AN ALTERNATIVE"

İrmez pointed out that housing equipment will be given to the displaced families who migrated to villages or live in tents after the obstruction of this project by Şırnak Governorate and the AKP government. She said the aggravated families will thus have an opportunity to build houses in the areas where they are living at the moment.

"LET'S UNITE AROUND ŞIRNAK"

İrmez called for further support and solidarity with the aggravated people of Şırnak on the basis of an empathy that "Every demolished house is ours".

HDP MP continued: "We need to support this resistance of the people which the state will never be able to break. The state's policy on Şırnak, which aims the migration of the people from home, has collapsed entirely as the people are resisting challenging conditions by not leaving their home and land."