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Peace Maden In Urla 27/06/2011

Peace is established between citizens fighting eachother living in the same neighbourhood of Urla district of İzmir with contributions from Abdullah Cıstır, president of İzmir Roma Social Cooperation and Solidarity Association. Some citizens, who signed an agreement to authorities that they want to leave Urla voluntarily, canceled the agreement.

Riot police was sent to the neihgbourhood and 50 people were detained after the incident in which 15 people were injured. Local authorities said some residents, who want to leave the neighbourhood, that they will be paid transport and remove expense, they will have housing benefit for two months and tent cities will be builded for each sides of the fight in different places. Then some residents signed an agreement that they will leave the neighbourhood with their own wish.

Abdullah Cıstır president of İzmir Roma Social Cooperation and Solidarity Association, who went to the neighbourhood to see on site the incident and make peace between different sides of the fight, had a talk with local Roma association and residents. Cıstır and administrators of local associations met the deputy mayor Hüseyin Özdemir to ask their support to convince residents to stay in the neighbourhood. They also met Urla Governor Şeyhmus Günaydın in a meeting that security director, mayor and the mukhtar were also there.

Abdullah Cıstır evaluates the incident with those words: "We know there are some Roma who are pushed into crime. But we don't understand enterprises to replace Roma after each perturbator incident. We don't want residents to leave their neighbourhood. We coul make peace between sides. We ask authorities to solve the problem without eviction. We want to solve the problem without assimilation. We ask authorities to cancel the agreement that the residents will leave the neighbourhood voluntarily. The governor agree with us. He informed us about a housing project they prepare. They cancelled the agreement. We are so happy that we could solve the problem."

Cıstır and administrators of local associations gave detailed information to residents about conversation they made with authorities. It's said that peace is completely maden in Urla now.

Source: İz-Rom-Der Press Statement Photos: Nurgül Saltık