Istanbul, the co-ordinator of the International Alliance of Inhabitants met the demolition victims
ISTANBUL (29.07.2008) – Yesterday, the co-ordinator of the International Alliance of Inhabitants, Cesare Ottolini, visited Sulukule and Ayazma where the inhabitants have been the victim of demolitions planned by the Urban Redevelopment Project.
Cesare Ottolini, present in Istanbul to attend the meeting of the People’s Committee for Housing Rights, met Sukule inhabitants whose houses were threatened with destruction. Afterwards, he learnt about the problems of the Ayazma inhabitants, who have been living rough since the day they were violently evicted in November 2007.
In the setting of the visit organised by “the People’s Committee for Housing Rights”, the president of “the Sukule Inhabitants Association”, Şükrü Pündü, in collaboration with other members, provided information about the situation. Pündük confirmed that more than a thousand families would be victim to the demolitions, whilst also issuing a reminder that they would also have negative effects on the cultural scale. For this reason, the urban regeneration project must be terminated.
In Ayazma, the situation is serious
Ayazma was the second stop-off point for Cesare Ottolini. The extremely difficult conditions in which these 110 residents live, particularly affected the Italian activist with regards to human rights. Cesare Ottolini confirmed, by meeting these families in their shacks, his intention to launch an international solidarity campaign for Ayazma.
