Civil Society in Diyarbakır is Looking for a Way Out

Diyarbakır's civil society has been living in the atmosphere of state of emergency and trying to overcome the obstacles arouse from it. Since the declaration of emergency rules, CSOs in Diyarbakır have been organizing meetings and conferences in order to remember their past experiences, refresh their memories and discuss the possibility of a qualified unity.

15 July 2016 coup attempt was a failure thanks to civil society and elected political will. After the coup attempt, civil society united against any kind of coups which made people expect a more democratic atmosphere. The government, on the other hand, became even more centralized and after the declaration of state of emergency, hundreds of CSOs were closed. Although Ankara and Istanbul were the first cities affected, Diyarbakır was also at the top of the list.

Due to the closure of many CSOs and curfews, civil society in Diyarbakır continues their struggle in meeting halls. Some of the prominent CSOs in Diyarbakır became together in a meeting titled “Remembering the Experiences”.

Şeyhmus Özbekli, representative of the Initiative for Haq, said in his interview:

“State of emergency has thought us things. Yes, we continue our struggle for human rights. This is not a crime for sure. Putting so much pressure upon rights’ activists is cruel. On the other hand, if we stand together, the wind cannot make us fall so easily. Thanks to these gatherings, we see how important to be united is. We are now experiencing that. Rights’ activism is a dynamic and a difficult arena and we have to produce new strategies, keep on coming together and struggling.”