Housing Development Administration (TOKİ) continues its occupant destruction under the guise of "urban transformation" in Alipaşa neighborhood in Amed's historic Sur district.

People of Alipaşa neighborhood stay in their houses and resist forced eviction as the demolition of houses continues. With water and electricity services cut off, residents get water from the sepulchres and mosques in the nearby Lalebey neighborhood.

Alipaşa neighborhood headman Behzat Sular and Lalebey neighborhood headman Abdullah Çelik met with officials from Diyarbakır Governorate and DİSKİ (Diyarbakır Water and Sewerage Administration) operating under Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality, which was taken over by a trustee, that shut down a main pipeline roviding water to the neighborhood last week. The headmen requested provision of drinking water to the neighborhoods for the Ramadan month when people fast, and this request was eventually accepted.

DELEGATION FROM ANKARA: WHO TURNED THE WATER ON?

However, a delegation from AKP's Investment Monitoring and Coordination Presidency conducted inspections in Alipaşa neighborhood on Monday. After taking notes and fastening access to drinking water in the neighborhood, the delegation members insulted headmen and asked who was allowed the access to water. After the leave of the delegation, water valves were shut down and water was cut off once again.

Residents of of Alipaşa neighborhood, who had water only for 12 hours, continue to get water from the mosques and sepulchres now.

Alipaşa headman Behzat Sular stated that they would meet with officials once again and demand access to drinking water in the neighborhood.

Alipaşa resident Feyzi Bingöl said "They cut off our water in less than a day."

“OUR HOMES ARE NOT FOR SALE”

Azize Akay, who lives with four grandchildren in one of the houses for which demolition order has been issued, told that TOKİ valued her house at 24 thousand TL, adding: "My tenant, who runs the shop under my house, offered 150 thousand TL for my house and I refused it. My house is not for sale. We are not selling it to TOKİ or anyone else."

Another resident Mahup Elgündüz stated that TOKİ valued his 123 m2 house at 60 thousand TL, and said "How can I sell my house for 60 thousand TL, while TOKİ would never sell a 123 m2 house for this price? I was born in 1942. Am I supposed to be left on the streets now?"