DIYARBAKIR

The Council of State granted a motion for stay of execution for expropriation of Surp Giragos Armenian Church in Sur district of Diyarbakir.

The discrimination that Stephan Yepremyan has been subjected for trying to maintain his culture and the torments that Hangül Özbey went through because of her Kurdish and Armenian identity reveal the suffering caused by being an Armenian of Diyarbakir.

Co-Mayors of Diyarbakir Gültan Kışanak and Fırat Anlı have been arrested by the court on duty. Former BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) MP Aylin Akat Ata, who protested the detention of co-mayors, is also arrested.

HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party) and DBP (Democratic Regions Party) urged people to stage protests in Istanbul and Diyarbakir at 11.00 am against the detention of co-mayors of Diyarbakir. The governor's offices banned the protests.

The hunger strike of 50 politicians, that HDP, DBP, DTK, KJA and HDK planned for initiating “meetings with Öcalan in a legal way" started yesterday in Diyarbakir.

Heavily damaged church property belongs to General Directorate of Foundations. The restoration work, which will be carried out by the Directorate, is planned to be completed in 2018.

Human Rights Association (IHD) Diyarbakir Branch issued a report about the violations of rights in southeastern Turkey in a year.

Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning stated that the churches in Sur province of Diyarbakir will be restored in accordance with their original condition and they are not considering using those buildings for any other purpose.

“Sur Action Plan”, which was announced by Minister of Environment and Urban Planning Mehmet Özhaseki, has been criticized by NGOs and occupational organizations which are excluded from the process of project design. Referring to the plan, Chamber of Architects Diyarbakir Branch Chair Şerefhan Aydın says, “This is the first step of gaining unearned income and making benefits available.”

With the lifting of the curfew in some places of Sur, which lasted for 6 months, the extent of the devastation is revealed. In fact, according to the people who saw the region, the real devastation happened in the places that are still under curfew.