In the wake of genocidal attacks in Sur and Silopi, the AKP will now seize the people’s homes on the basis of an “expropriation” order.

The Turkish cabinet has issued a decree for “urgent expropriation” in Amed’s Sur and Şırnak’s Silopi districts. The “expropriation” decree, meaning the seizure of people’s homes in effect, was promulgated in the official gazette.

Accordingly, Sur’s Abdaldede, Alipaşa, Cemal Yılmaz, Camiikebir, Cevatpaşa, Dabanoğlu, Hasırlı, İnönü, İskerderpaşa, Lalebey, Malikahmet, Özdemir, Süleymangazi, Savaş, Şemhane and Ziyagökalp neighborhoods are to be included. With the same decree, Yenişehir district’s Köşkler and Yenişehir Central neighborhoods will be expropriated as well.

Curfew had been declared on December 2 in Cevatpaşa, Fatihpaşa, Dabanoğlu, Hasırlı, Cemal Yılmaz and Savaş neighborhoods of Sur. The curfew is still in place despite Diyarbakır Governorate’s declaration that “the operations are over”. The large doors on the city walls that open towards the neighborhoods have been blocked by large concrete slabs, people living in places where the curfew isn’t in place have to go through ID checks and criminal record searches on entry and exit.

In Silopi, people’s homes will be seized in Barbaros, Başak, Cudi, Karşıyaka, Harun Boy and Yeşiltepe neighborhoods.

The curfew declared in Silopi on December 16 was partially lifted on January 19 to exclude the morning hours. But the army and police blockade in the district remains.