As part of the urban transformation project in Mardin's Yeşilli district, the demolition work of 500 houses started last October. With the project implemented by the Turkish Ministry of Environment and Urbanization General Directorate of Urban Transformation and the Yeşilli Municipality, the houses of the people who have not yet reached an agreement within the scope of the works started in Tepebaşı and Gül neighborhoods will also be demolished.

The electricity of those who did not leave their homes was cut off. While the people organised a protest and called on the AKP's Yeşilli mayor Hayrettin Demir to resign, the borough headman of Gül Mahallesi, Çağdaş Araz, was suspended from his duty by the Yeşilli District Governorship that accused him of "organizing" the protests.
Mayor Demir had earlier accused dismissed village headman Araz of "allocating a place to the HDP".