The official X account of the documentary 'The Concrete Is Yours, The Homeland Is Ours' (Beton Sizin, Vatan Bizim), which focuses on the testimonies of people in Hatay, one of the provinces most devastated by the February 6 earthquakes centered in Maraş, was abruptly blocked by a decision of the Ankara 10th Criminal Judgeship of Peace on Saturday, 17 May, the same day the film premiered on YouTube.

The documentary’s director, Halil Yakut, told ANF that the reason given for the closure was the trailer posted on the X account. Yakut emphasized that police had previously tried to prevent the release of the documentary by repeatedly confiscating footage during filming. Now, the arbitrary shutdown of the X account, where the documentary was being promoted, shows that the government cannot even tolerate the voice of the people of Hatay, those it left to die beneath the rubble.

Pressure from the beginning 

Halil Yakut, himself a survivor from Hatay, said that his parents’ and sister’s homes were destroyed in the 6 February earthquakes. In the documentary, which tells the story of what the people of Hatay experienced, Yakut also interviewed members of his own family.

He added that from the very beginning of making 'The Concrete Is Yours, The Homeland Is Ours', they were subjected to constant pressure. "I am from Hatay, and we wanted to let the people speak about what really happened during the earthquake. I conducted a series of interviews, including one with my own mother. The police confiscated my footage during raids, and I was arrested under the pretext of participating in solidarity efforts in the earthquake zone. I went on a hunger strike in the high-security K-Type Prison where I was exiled, where I protested the isolation and inhumane conditions. But despite all the obstacles, I completed the documentary after my release and shared it with the public."

They were afraid of people’s voice being heard

Halil Yakut emphasized that the documentary is entirely based on the testimonies and accounts of the people themselves. He said that closing of the documentary’s X account reflects the authorities’ intolerance toward these voices. Yakut said: "In the documentary, people clearly say they were abandoned to death by the government. They say, ‘We were left to die here, massacred. The state never came to Hatay.’ They speak of how revolutionaries, socialists, people’s lawyers, artists, and healthcare workers came to support them, while the state attacked those who stood in solidarity. One earthquake survivor I interviewed said, ‘For God’s sake, brother, do you really think anything will get better as long as Tayyip Erdoğan is in power?’ Another said, ‘We can build socialism.’ Someone else said, ‘Through the people’s solidarity, we can overcome everything.’ They were afraid of this voice being heard. They were disturbed by the voices of those who lost their loved ones beneath the rubble. By arbitrarily shutting down the documentary’s X account, the government has shown that it cannot even tolerate the voice of the people of Hatay, whom it left to die by deliberately blocking aid for days. This is unacceptable."

They cited the documentary’s trailer as the reason for the access ban

Halil Yakut pointed out that the documentary’s X account was shut down on Saturday, 17 May, the same day its premiere was held on YouTube. He stated that X informed them via email that the account had been blocked by a decision of the 10th Criminal Judgeship of Peace, citing the documentary’s trailers shared in promotional posts as the reason. Yakut, who is preparing to file an appeal against the access ban, emphasized that the government is afraid of the truth. "Because the truth organizes the people, raises their awareness, and inspires them to fight for justice. That is why they are trying to suppress people’s voices and the power of the people. But no matter what they do, they will not be able to prevent us from carrying the voice of the people of Hatay everywhere."