Earthquake victims in Mardin still homeless after 3 years, demand action

Three years after their homes were demolished due to earthquake damage, residents of Mardin's Artuklu district are still waiting for new housing or compensation. The two apartment blocks, known as YSE lodgings, were declared unsafe and torn down in 2023 following inspections by AFAD after the February 6, 2023, Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes that affected 11 provinces.

Doğan Bekin, a deputy and Istanbul Member of Parliament for the New Welfare Party, has brought the issue to the national assembly, submitting a written question to Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi. Bekin highlighted that the affected citizens have not received any payments equivalent to the value of their lost homes.

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The grievances of those whose homes were demolished have continued to increase.

"The grievances of those whose homes were demolished have continued to increase," Bekin stated, noting that residents have had to resort to legal action to claim their rights. "However, even though legal processes have been initiated, the grievances of our rights-holding citizens have grown daily. For the suffering of these citizens to be eliminated as soon as possible, the relevant authorities must take the necessary steps urgently."

Bekin's questions to the minister probe whether any compensation or rent assistance has been provided, if residents were offered alternative housing in TOKİ projects, if there have been zoning changes on the demolished land, or if the land has been allocated to another institution without notifying or obtaining consent from the original rights holders. He also inquired about any joint efforts between the Governorship, Metropolitan Municipality, and the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change to resolve the residents' plight.

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For the suffering of these citizens to be eliminated as soon as possible, the relevant authorities must take the necessary steps urgently.