Demolition for some houses that were invaded and some that were previosuly abandoned by their owners in Alipaşa and Lalebey neighborhoods in Amed’s Sur district started yesterday as part of an “urban renewal program”. As houses in Alipaşa neighborhood are being torn down with diggers since yesterday, hundreds of residents are refusing to leave the neighborhood and go somewhere else.

After residents of the Alipaşa neighborhood announced that they will not leave their homes, Diyarbakır Water and Sewerage Administration (DİSKİ) teams operating under the Metropolitan Municipality shut down a main pipeline providing water to the neighborhood yesterday.

Residents of the Alipaşa neighborhood are trying to get water from mosques and the nearby Lalebey neighborhood which will also be facing a similar demolition soon. Water supply to the Alipaşa Elementary School was also cut off and students here cannot use the school toilets and these have been locked by the school management now.

Residents are still determined to not leave their houses despite the water cut.

93 years old Fesla Ayaz stated that they have been living in this neighborhood for years, that their children were born and raised here, and that they are being deprived of their life sources now.

Another resident, Yılmaz Tikiz said the following: “We are carrying water from the Lalebey neighborhood and the Hançeri Güzel Mosque since early this morning. They are denying us water, a most basic need, and thus forcing us to leave. We do not accept this.”