Amed / Diyarbakır / Tigranakert

Diyarbakır (Syriac: ܐܡܝܕܐ‎, translit. Amida, Kurdish: Amed, Armenian: Տիգրանակերտ, Tigranakert) is one of the largest cities in North Kurdistan / southeastern Turkey / Western Armenia. It is considered the unofficial capital of Turkish Kurdistan, and has been a focal point for conflict between the Turkish State and the PKK.

The region has been inhabited by humans since the Stone Age, and has formed part of many empires.

Historically, Diyarbakır produced wheat and sesame. They would preserve the wheat in warehouses, with coverings of straw and twigs from licorice trees. This system would allow the wheat to be preserved for up to ten years. In the late 19th and early 20th century, Diyarbakır exported raisins, almonds, and apricots to Europe. Angora goats were raised, and wool and mohair was exported from Diyarbakır. Merchants would also come from Egypt, Istanbul, and Syria, to purchase goats and sheep. Honey was also produced, but not so much exported, but used by locals. Sericulture was observed in the area, too.

Prior to World War I, Diyarbakır had an active copper industry, with six mines. Three were active, with two being owned by locals and the third being owned by the government. Tenorite was the primary type of copper mined. It was mined by hand by Kurds. A large portion of the ore was exported to England. The region also produced iron, gypsum, coal, chalk, lime, jet, and quartz, but primarily for local use.

Situated on the banks of the Tigris River, Amed has a population of about 930,000. The city is about 76% Kurdish speaking.

 

 

Women’s Voice for Peace, a short film about Rosa Women’s Association

Women's Voice for Peace is a short film about Rosa Women's Association prepared by filmmaker Güliz Sağlam.

Earthquake in Turkey: the state versus the people

The HDP’s strength lies in its ability to mobilise and organise its large network of supporters and sympathisers and like-minded community organisations. As soon as they heard about the earthquake, the party dropped all other plans, set up a central coordination centre, and dispatched leading members to the affected area. Local election centres were transformed into coordination centres, while the youth organisation concentrated on rescue work. They put out calls for solidarity and for people with shelter and food to share with those without, and they helped create a framework to allow people’s natural solidarity to find direction. 

Women reviving silkworm farming expect support

After breeding, rearing, and harvesting silkworms, Sevda Eren sells silk to earn a living. “The state should support us to make our labor visible,” she says.

One of the last master shoemakers in Amed

Shoemaking was a traditional craft of Armenian masters in Amed. In the capitalist throwaway society, the profession is dying out. Kasım Oğuç is one of the last shoemakers in the Kurdish metropolis.

Women working in Hevsel Gardens: We need a farmers’ market to sell our vegetables

Züleyhan Sezgin is a farmer working in the Hevsel Gardens. “Our incomes don’t meet our expenses due to the increasing price hikes. We could plant vegetables only in a field because we couldn’t buy fertilizer,” she says.

“Women’s Bazaar” to open in Sur

Four women will open a “Women’s Bazaar” in the Sur district of Diyarbakır. “Our aim is to create job opportunities for women,” the women say.

Ecology in Times of War

In 2021, too, the war in Kurdistan has a great impact on the struggle for an ecological society there. So we need to take a closer look at how these two issues relate to each other and what an ecological stance can look like in times of war. To that end, Make Rojava Green Again conducted an interview with Kamuran Akın from Humboldt University in Berlin.

Economic Self-Governance in Democratic Autonomy: The Example of Bakur (Turkish Kurdistan)

This article aims to analyse the economic dimension of Democratic Autonomy, whose creation is projected to take place alongside politics, self-defence, diplomacy, culture, ecology and collective emancipation, and relates to the reader the arguments and experiences within the economic field.