Curfew lifted, but Cizre remains on edge

The predominantly Kurdish town of Cizre has witnessed extreme episodes of violence during a week-long curfew put in place by Turkish authorities. Violence has surged between Turkey and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) since a ceasefire collapsed in July.

The death toll after the week-long curfew remains a controversial issue. While Turkish sources claim that 32 PKK fighters have been killed, Cizre residents said there were 23 civilian victims.

According to Kurdish sources, the victims include a 75-year-old man who was shot by a sniper and a month-old baby that died due to a lack of medical assistance after ambulances were allegedly prevented from entering the city.

Noor is one of the three districts in Cizre which still remains under full control of the Patriotic Revolutionary Youth Movement (YDG-H), an urban militia allegedly close to the outlawed PKK.

70-year-old Abdurrahman Danesh displays the high-caliber projectile that destroyed the iron gate and part of the wall surrounding his courtyard. The rest of his house was burnt during the first day of the siege on September 4.

Ibrahim Dostam and his family were watching TV when a projectile landed in their living room. Despite several impacts, none of them was badly injured.

Despite the dire state of his house, Omar Dostam thinks he'll be able to make it habitable again. "They (Turkey) just wants us to leave, that's it," he told DW.

Faysal Sarigildyz, an MP for the People's Democratic Party (HDP), told DW he is convinced that the recent spike of violence is the government's answer to his party's remarkable results in the June elections. "They consider us a threat, that's why they attack us," he said.

Turkey claims that PKK fighters have been deployed inside the cities but PKK senior official Sauas Amed has denied that. "Self-defense is in the hands of civilians who have organized themselves against the Turkish aggression," he told DW from the guerrillas' stronghold in the Quandil mountains.

The curfew was reinstated for 12 hours on September 13 after it had been lifted two days before. Residents gather around and listen carefully everyday at 6:30 p.m. That's when new announcements are made through loudspeakers. On Monday, the curfew was lifted again.

Amid the ongoing uncertainty, Cizre residents flock to the fruit market to stock up on provisions in case they have to face a new siege. Curfews are still in force in several other districts around Turkey's Kurdish regions.