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... |