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Turkey’s Diyarbakir struggles to rebuild

This bastion of Kurdish nationalism lies at the heart of the war between the state and separatist rebels.

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These walls stand in the historic city of Diyarbakir. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]
By Linda Dorigo
Published On 28 Apr 2017

Diyarbakir, one of the biggest cities in southeastern Turkey, has for decades been crucial to the ongoing conflict between the Turkish government and Kurdish fighters.

Located along the Tigris River, this bastion of Kurdish nationalism lies at the heart of the war between the state and separatist rebels from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Amid renewed fighting over the past two years, Sur, the oldest part of Diyarbakir, has been completely destroyed.

The historical centre of Diyarbakir remains devastated, and locals have no access. Hundreds of thousands of people have fled and the local economy has collapsed – but some Kurds still want to live in Diyarbakir, determined to rebuild.

REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: Exile in Diyarbakir

 

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This gate to the old city has been boarded up by the Turkish army. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]
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A man prays on the roof of his house next to the impregnable city centre. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]
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In the Denghbej Evi, or the 'singing house', Kurdish elders sing traditional songs and share their stories. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]
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Men meet in the gardens behind the city walls, a frequent hang-out before the war. Hundreds of people have died in the conflict between Turkey and the Kurds. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]
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Lice lost a lot during the fighting. Today, she is pregnant, and her husband earns a living as a cleaner. They have two daughters. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]
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The view from Fiskaya, a suburb of Diyarbakir, which has been very active during the fighting. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]
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This terrace on the Tigris River hosts a cafe that has become very popular among young people. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]
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Along the streets of Diyarbakir still occupied by the tanks, there is an oasis of peace: Lilav library is run by a group of friends who also manage a Kurdish publishing house. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]
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Naif and his wife, Hatice, are from Diyarbakir. He worked in a construction company but is now unemployed. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]
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A Turkish youth association recently visited Diyarbakir to promote the ruling AKP. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]
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The city's theatre company recently found a new location in the basement of a shopping centre. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]
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Among the reforms proposed by Turkey during the 2013 peace deal with the PKK was the lifting of a ban on three Kurdish alphabet letters and the teaching of the Kurdish language in private schools. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]
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Some parts of Diyarbakir that have not been destroyed have instead been seized by Turkish authorities. [Linda Dorigo/Al Jazeera]