Inhabitants of Yüksekova district in Hakkari reacted to the Turkish media reports alleging that 'people are leaving their houses', underlining that “We are here and not going anywhere”.

Gendarmerie and special operation teams yesterday attacked the neighborhoods of Kışla, Orman, Mezarlık, Dize, Cumhuriyet, Yeşildere neighborhoods where people continue carrying out self-defense against the ongoing attacks by Turkish forces.

While all the workplaces and shops remained closed throughout yesterday which witnessed heavy clashes upon the attacks, life has turned back to normal today as self-defense units continue protecting their settlements and all shops have been reopened as of early morning hours.

HDP Hakkari deputies Nihat Akdoğan and Abdullah Zeydan, together with some other HDP and DBP executives, have visited the workplaces in the district today and asked people to continue their daily life.

Details of the crackdown staged by Turkish forces yesterday are emerging today after special operation teams were force to retreat upon the response of self-defense units in the areas they attacked.

Atiye Bartın from Orman neighborhood, whose house was also targeted and hit by police forces yesterday, told that; “The Turkish state rained bullets on us and deliberately targeted our children. I hardly survived the bullets fired on our house by police teams. We remained stuck in our houses and couldn't go out during the day. Reports on TV channels say that we have left our houses and fled the district. This is not true. We all remain here and will not ever leave our houses and neighborhoods. They are randomly opening fire on us but we will not leave here.”

'WE HAVE NO REASON TO LEAVE'

Another resident Hülya Güngör who has opened her variety store in Orman neighborhood today also underlined that they had no reasons to leave their houses. “Where will we go while a struggle is being given here? We want neither guerrillas nor soldiers to die. This is how the Kurdish people treat all these happenings. Yesterday, reporters made too much fuss claiming that people in Yüksekova have left their homes. There is no such a thing. We didn't go anywhere. We will continue staying here and hinder clashes because we do not want anyone to die.”

'WE WILL NOT LEAVE HOME EVEN IF THEY KILL US'

Hacı Salih from Orman neighborhood also reacted to the reports that they had left their homes and fled there, saying; “No single person living here has left their houses and fled away. They are making preparations for a massacre against civilians by spreading a propaganda that the inhabitants here have all fled away. They want to give harm to the people by means of these lies. Those fighting here are all our children. We will be standing by this fight to the end and will not leave our homes even if they kill us.”

'WE ARE EXERCISING OUR MOST FUNDAMENTAL AND LEGITIMATE RIGHT'

A youth speaking on behalf of self-defense units in Orman neighborhood said they continued mounting guard in their neighborhoods as Turkish forces continue their attacks against the areas where local people have recently declared democratic self-rule. As the self-defense units and revolutionary youths of Gever, we are protecting our people and ensuring their safety. We have dug ditches and built up barricades to hinder our people getting any harm. We are exercising our most fundamental and legitimate right to self-defense against the attacks of the enemy that have retreated in the face of the resistance we wage. There exists safety and security in our neighborhoods.”

'THE STATE AIMS TO COMMIT A MASSACRE BY DENYING THE PRESENCE OF CIVILIANS'

Calling attention to the claims put forward by the mainstream media that HPG has forced local people to leave some neighborhoods, the youth said; “The people here are continuing their daily life in their neighborhoods now. Our people remain here, no one should believe the black propaganda spread by the Turkish media. The state aims to commit a massacre by means of reports that there are no civilians left here. Should our neighborhoods face another attack by state forces, we will continue exercising our most fundamental and legitimate right to self-defense. Our people should know this well and not fear. The daily life is going on, and it should be so, as units of self-defense remain on duty to protect them.”