Tent city in Suruç raided by troops every week

8 January 2015 News, North-Kurdistan, Rojava

Police attacks vigil tents in Ceylanpınar
The 6th tent city opened for refugees from Kobanê in Suruç is being raided once a week by Turkish troops in armoured vehicles. Fidan Kanlıbaş, who works at the camp, said the Turkish authorities were trying to create an atmosphere of fear.

The sixth tent city being established in Suruç for refugees from Kobanê is being obstructed by the authorities. The camp, in the village of Külünçe, consists of 1,200 tents and has a capacity of 8,000, but the Turkish authorities are refusing to give permission for the camp, which has been set up by the Suruç municipality, and want the refugees to go to the state-run AFAD camp.

Fidan Kanlıbaş, who came from Izmir to offer support, is working in the tent city at Külünçe. She said: “I have been here for over 3 months. We have set up this camp and people have been coming here for 10 days now.” She added that there were now 190 families in the camp, with more people arriving every day, and that they were endeavouring to resolve problems with electricity and water.

Kanlıbaş said they needed containers and tents for emergency health care and social activities, and that a doctor was needed as the camp is some distance from the town. She added that there was a shortage of blankets, baby food and nappies.

‘We need volunteers’

Kanlıbaş said that there was an urgent need for volunteers to help out at the tent city, adding that medical staff were needed to staff a sick bay.

‘They frighten the children with their guns’

Kanlıbaş said the authorities were harassing the refugees, rather than helping them. She said: “Every week they raid the camp. They ask why people don’t stay at the AFAD camp. 5 days ago they came in 8 or 9 armoured vehicles. The children were frightened when soldiers came into the camp with their guns.”

‘They set up their own tents’

Kanlıbaş said that the families at the camp had either been thrown out of the AFAD camp or left of their own accord. “Some of them set up their own tents. They are glad they came here. The way things are going, the tent city will be full in ten days,” she added.

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