Forced migration and Diyarbakir

Forced Immigration and Its Effects: Diyarbakir [English, Diyarbakır , 2006]

Forced migration and Diyarbakir [English, İstanbul, 2010]

Zorunlu Göç ve Diyarbakır [Türkçe, İstanbul, 2010]

Zorunlu Göç ve Etkileri: Diyarbakır [Türkçe, Diyarbakır, 2006]

Forced Immigration and Diyarbakir

The Development Centre is a non-profit working group aiming at conducting research in rural and urban areas where development needs are most urgent, developing projects and realistic and replicable models in the field context and hence generating long-lasting impact on all relevant sections of society. The centre was established in Diyarbakır in October 2004.

Why a survey on the process of forced migration?

We believe that social and economic problems faced in Diyarbakır mostly derive from forced migration. Although about 15 years have passed since the process of forced migration first started, its impacts are still felt and problems it generated turn into permanent ones by gaining further depth. Thus we decided to make this situation more visible by sharing the findings of this survey and to make a call on authorities to take action to fulfill their responsibilities to improve the present situation.

All members and volunteers of the Development Centre took part in the process of survey and writing of this report.

Many persons, impossible to cite their names here, have contributed to this work voluntarily. We thank them all for being with us and contributing to our work.

We are particularly grateful to the members of Aziziye and Benusen “White Butterfly” laundrettes, “Gleam of Hope” Women Cooperative, neighbourhood dwellers who welcomed us throughout the field survey as well as headmen of these neighbourhoods.

Our thanks are also due to Ayşe Gündüz Hoşgör from the METU for her voluntary contributions to survey design and statistics and to Özgür Arun for his help in transforming collected data into meaningful tables.

Special thanks to Şemsa Özar from the Boğaziçi University who spent days and nights voluntarily working with us at all stages of the survey.

The Diyarbakır Chamber of Industry and Commerce made their conference halls open for the workshop on 31 May 2006 when we presented the draft of this survey to audience and İlhan Diken, Deputy Mayor of Diyarbakır Greater Municipality made the opening speech of the workshop. We thank both of them and to all participants, including Dilek Kurban from the TESEV who were present at the workshop.

We are also grateful to the UNDP Representation in Turkey who contributed to the printing of Turkish and English editions of the survey.

CONTENTS

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION / 4
PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION / 5
INTRODUCTION / 7
STATE OF AFFAIRS IN 2009 / 9
NEIGHBOURHOODS / 18
SURVEY METHODOLOGY / 21
MIGRATION PROCESS / 23
BACKGROUND: LIFE IN VILLAGE / 30
15 YEARS AFTER: LIFE IN DIYARBAKIR / 33
TENDENCIES TO RETURN BACK TO VILLAGES / 62
GENERAL EVALUATION AND SUGGESTIONS FOR SOLUTION / 68

ANNEXES / 79
ABOUT DEVELOPMENT CENTRE / 103

Annex 1. Problems expressed by interviewees on the status of women, families, neighbourhoods and return to villages and their suggestions for solution

I. Introduction

As the metropolitan centre of the region of South-eastern Anatolia, the city of Diyarbakır was one of the focal points where people facing forced migration rushed during the 90s. The population of the province doubled within such a short period of time as 5 years from 1990 to 1995. Great majority of these people are still living together in some neighbourhoods located at the centre and peripheral parts of the city. Children born to these families had their childhood amidst stories of past village life and migration told by their elders, school life in neighbourhood schools, struggle in the streets of Diyarbakır where they worked to support their families as well as in cotton and hazel nut fields where they seasonally moved with their families again for subsistence. It is not possible to say that the life has changed much in these neighbourhoods for the last 15 years.

With this study we aimed at understanding the life and experiences of people who had to leave their villages and move to Diyarbakır starting from their past village life up to their present situation. Within this framework, inhabitants of neighbourhoods we visited told us their past life in villages, what they experienced during migration and how their life turned out to be since they settled in Diyarbakır. While doing this, they analysed not only their past but also their present situation and shared with us their future expectations and dreams. We hope to relate to you their stories in a genuine way.

Although our main motive in this study was to understand a specific process, our objective is of course not limited to a passive understanding only. Nevertheless, we believe that every step in solving the problems of the victims of forced migration should start with a real understanding of their situation. Thus, in the last part of this report we list suggestions to positively change the present situation of people we visited in their neighbourhoods as well as their demands and expectations. It is our sincere wish that these suggestions are taken into account by central government units, local governments and NGOs and that their problems find a place in the overall agenda of the country...

Forced Immigration and Diyarbakir

DEVELOPMENT CENTER ASSOCIATION

Turgut Özal Bulvarı Bayındırlık Cad.
343. Sk. Balek Apt. B Blok Kat: 1 No: 5
BAĞLAR / DİYARBAKIR

Tel-Fax: (0412) 237 87 49 – 50

Web: www.kalkinmamerkezi.org
e-mail: kalkinmamerkezi@yahoo.com

ISBN: 978-605-89078-2-9

Edited by
Development Center Association

Graphic Design
Etik Ajans
Tel: (0412) 224 12 37

Print
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contributions by Heinrich Böll Stiftung-Derneği Türkiye Temsilciliği

ABOUT DEVELOPMENT CENTRE

Established in Diyarbakır in 2004, the Development Centre is a non-governmental organization engaged in studies, research and capacity building work which constitute the basis of its poverty alleviation programmes in both rural and urban areas.

While its activities mainly take place in the province of Diyarbakır, the Development Centre is also involved in some regional and national-level events. The province and the region concerned comprise the most backward settlements in the country and this backwardness manifests itself in many spheres of life. In many provinces of the region, poverty and deprivation make themselves acutely felt. Deeply impoverished, rural people is worst affected by this adverse situation.

The people of the region subsist, in general, in standards remaining much below both national averages and basic human necessities. Further, there is no indication at present that these problems could be radically solved in near future. What can be done in the short term is to mitigate the situation by mobilizing available scientific and technological means to the benefit of the people on the basis of an equalitarian approach upholding the principles of social justice.

By capitalizing the co-existence of social and traditional structures in modern times and forms of organization, we consider it important to further develop areas of common use.

It is among our major goals to launch plans and practices which provide grounds for means, opportunities and legal structures conducive to human development and develop policies accordingly.

In the face of existing problems, the Development Centre targets at mitigating poverty and deprivation in urban and rural areas, improving the status of women and contributing to the social development of children. Further, it is also among our objectives to bring in social justice by mitigating deprivation, to protect natural environments by contributing to the formulation of sustainable development models and advancing development cooperation with both national and international nongovernmental organizations. The Development Centre seeks to contribute to the creation of a democratic society where people enjoy decent and quality life. It is planned to gradually scale-up region wise projects, practices and pilot works developed in this context.

It is one of the pillars of our approach to cooperate in all initiatives with governmental organizations, local governments, universities in the country and abroad, non-governmental organizations, professional organizations, chambers, associations of producers and others. Ensuring the full participation of partners provides the ground for correct and effective work while, at the same time, making it possible to extend ongoing activities to larges masses of people. For all the time, the most essential and indispensable participants of this cooperation is of course the people living in areas where interventions have been planned or made.

The Development Centre has so far accomplished projects on the following:
• Rural surveys
• Patterns of agricultural production in the EU countries and their adaptation to
the region
• Training of local development workers,
• Study on forced migration and its implications,
• Support to groups involved in forced migration,
• Strengthening women in rural areas,
• Capacity building in rural areas.

The working style and organizational structure of the Development Centre envisage experience sharing, creating a tradition and culture of collective action and a participatory and transparent management. The centre observes these premises in its organization and activities.