A spring air in Siirt

Had I not gone to Tunisia to follow the President's trip and contacts, I would have gone to Siirt for a conference. Meanwhile, fate continues to draw its own path for us. In my last hours in Tunisia, at the very hours when I was supposed to be in Siirt, I received news of the death of my uncle Merhem, aged 84, who had long been under treatment. So, even if two days late, I realized that this trip too was written on my forehead, and I came to Siirt. Truly we belong to God, and to Him we shall return. Do not withhold your prayers for my uncle, who has gone to the place we shall all go.

Please excuse me if I present the rest of my column as quick notes from Siirt.

In Siirt, where I do not neglect to come from time to time, there is a cool spring air that has set in quickly after a harsh winter day. This spring air makes itself felt not only in the climate but also in politics. But, so as not to be misunderstood, let me say right away that this spring in politics is not the kind some are waiting for, that is, the kind we have seen in the "Arab revolutions."

All the problems of the extremely rapid and distorted urbanization experienced in all the Southeastern cities because of the processes of forced migration continue, though in a declining trend. Although the theses that over time generations become more politicized, or that second generations become even more radicalized, are fully valid in other cities, they do not work much in Siirt. The coexistence of Arabs and Kurds, who have lived together for centuries, proceeding in its most natural form and producing a natural law, has always kept the atmosphere in Siirt somewhat soft. That is why the Siirt environment conservatizes the incoming migrations rather than having a more radicalizing effect on them.

Of course, it does not do this at a hundred percent. The fact that Osman Ören, an Arab elected deputy in the last elections, is also very popular among BDP Kurds improves the atmosphere even more. Known in the city as "Osman hoca," Ören has in a short time made being a deputy into a complete way of life. He runs to everyone's problem without making a Kurd-Arab distinction, or even a BDP-AK Parti distinction. Thanks to his warm and friendly relationship with the BDP mayor Selim Sadak as well, violence can be sidelined relatively much more easily. In this relationship, Recep Güven, Siirt's police chief, who gives very good priority to human relations, also has a separate role. All of them together unite in the sensitivity of not spoiling this spring air.

The Court of Cassation's upholding of the one-year sentence Selim Sadak received for a speech he made at a rally these days forms one of the approaching dark clouds of this spring air. Sadak is also one of those among the BDP who do politics in the most reasonable measure. That he received a sentence for a speech is one disgrace for our democracy, and that this is being done in these days when the limits of freedom of expression have been widened and further widening is being considered is another disgrace. It would also make no contribution to the softening atmosphere. We hope that the Ministry of the Interior will exercise its discretionary authority with these in mind. This is the agenda at the condolence house, and the expectation of the AK Parti voters I was able to talk to and listen to is in this direction. This air must not be spoiled in Siirt.

Although unemployment in Siirt is on a declining trend, it is still an important problem. But the ending of the climate of violence constitutes, here as in other cities, the most important condition for the development of investments that will generate employment. Even so, in the news I received from Osman Hoca, there is serious good news for the people of Siirt in the project work being carried out within a year.

Madenköy in Siirt's Şirvan district has Turkey's richest copper mines. As a result of drilling and reserve studies conducted in recent years, the Copper and Concentrate Enterprise has raised its reserve from 15 million tons to 40 million tons. Annual mine production has reached 1 million tons from 500,000 tons. This capacity increase is expected to double the employment, already 750-800 people these days. The enterprise's hardworking manager İsmail Hakkı İçyüz explains that this capacity will reach 1,750,000 toward the end of this year.

Many more projects and new areas of employment like these show that Siirt too is keeping pace more than adequately with Turkey's general momentum of development.