HEWLÊR - Mahmur Camp Council Co-chair Çiçek Cengiz stated that the life and organization in the camp is targeted with the embargo and attacks that have been going on for 10 months and that the public will not allow themselves to be in need of anyone even if they are starving.

 

The difficulties faced by thousands of people who migrated to the Iraqi Federated Kurdistan Region and settled in Mahmur Camp from the border cities of Turkey such as Şırnak and Hakkari in the 1990s due to village burnings and pressures have recently increased. The camp residents, who were sometimes subjected to the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) air strikes, resist the embargo that has been going on for 10 months, while combating Covid- 19 outbreak.

 

The co-chair of the camp, where the intense struggle for an equal, free and autonomous life has been held until today, Çiçek Cengiz talked about the difficulties they have faced and the camp life.

 

Cengiz stated that there is an ambargo on the camp for the last 10 months and that it started after the attack on Turkish Consulate.  Noting that the infrastructure of this embargo was prepared beforehand, Cengiz stated that the plan was put into effect with the attack on the consulate. Cengiz continued as follows: "Their purpose is to make the Maxmur camp step back and abandon the life they created. Another purpose is to dissolve the organization here. They have threatened us with starvation. Our people have gone through very difficult times. But no matter how hungry they get, they will never make themselves in need of KDP help. They will not submit their wills to it. Our people have been resisting to KDP and the Turkish attacks for 10 months.  Health equipment is running out in the camp. Economically, the situation is not good but the people are resisting. Imagine that for 10 months an embargo has been imposed on this camp, the attacks have been taking place, but not a single person have submitted their will or retreated. These people have been resisting since 1993. This resistance is unprecedented."

 

 

MA / Erdoğan Altan