SURIÇI

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

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.

The objection against the urgent expropriation in Sur filed by Diyarbakir Bar Association Deputy Chair Ahmet Özmen is taken in the scope of urgent trial procedure by Chamber 6 of the Council of State. The Council of State demanded a plea and the documents about expropriation from Prime Minister's Office and Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning within 15 days.

Europa Nostra Award ceremony was held in Istanbul because of the ongoing curfew in Diyarbakir. Speaking at the ceremony, Diyarbakir Surp Giragos Armenian Church Foundation Chair Ergun Ayık said, “We wish we held this ceremony in our church. We miss the good old days.”

Various institutions file annulment actions against the urgent expropriation in Sur province of Diyarbakir. Syriac Foundation and Protestant Church filed annulment action against expropriation.

Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality appealed to Council of State for annulling the urgent expropriation decision taken by cabinet.

Yetvart Danzikyan went to Diyarbakir for “News Watch” and reported from there.

The curfew and the clashes that follow it continue in Sur province of Diyarbakir. There have been intermittent curfews in Sur since September 6. There is a ban on entering or leaving the province. Civilians were killed and many buildings in the province are damaged.