The HDP Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality had reserved space for only three mosques in Kayapınar, central district of Diyarbakır where about 400,000 people reside, while the other 40 mosques were located at the time of Ahmet Bilgin, former mayor Diyarbakır of Refah Party.

It has revealed that only 6 of the 46 mosque sites in Diyarbakır's Kayapınar district were included in the zoning plan during the pro-PKK local authorities.

The Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality of HDP allocated three mosque areas in the district of Kayapınar, increased this number to 6 in 2014 after people's reaction, and 40 other mosques were included in the reconstruction plans in the time of Ahmet Bilgin, former mayor of the Refah Party.

Cumali Atila was appointed by Turkey's Interior Ministry as trustee to Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality on 1 November 2016 upon the links of Gültan Kışanak, the head of Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality from HDP, revealed with the PKK.

Masjids places were far below the need of people over the part of Mahabat Boulevard in Kayapınar district and works initiated along in coordination with provincial mufti office after Atilla was appointed to the head of the municipality.

As a result of the studies, change made in the zoning plan, places were allocated for 12 mosques in accordance with the need of people for worship places.

Of these 12 mosque sites, five sites were allocated from parks and green spaces and other mosque sites were converted from cultural sites to places of worship.

When the HDP, known for its proximity to the PKK, won the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality in the local elections of 30 March 2019, the mosque indigestion has raised again.

Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality with HDP has made new restrictions decisions on places of worship, with the ease of obtaining a majority in the city assembly.

Accordingly, five sites, which allocated to be worship places, converted into a parking space arbitrarily and unlawfully, and without any legal justification.

The City Council's decision was completely arbitrary and far from legal, said lawyer Mohammad Ali Bülte. "The execution of this decision will increase the sense of hatred in society, causing deep dissension and chaos."

"Six masjids were deemed sufficient for 400,000 people"

Lawyer Bülte stated that the area is over 10 million square meters, and the zoning plan was made for the life of approximately 400,000 people.

"Three Mosque sites were allocated in the first reconstruction plan in 2004, and then in 2014, 3 more mosques were added to the current ones with a change in the zoning, six masjids were deemed sufficient for a total of 400,000 people," Bülte said.

Noting that these mosque sites are far below the need, lawyer Bülte said, "Therefore, many applications have been made to Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality in writing and as a healer between 2010 and 2016, but none of these applications have been taken into account."

On November 1, 2016, work was initiated by the trustee in cooperation with the Diyarbakır provincial Mufti to address the need for mosques and religious facilities.  In this direction, 12 mosques/religious facilities were located and some of them were converted from the parking areas.

lawyer Bülte, by blaming the previous HDP municipalities, underlined that the process of turning the parking area into the mosque/religious facility area would not happen if the sensitivities of the people were taken into account and the places of the mosque/religious facility were allocated during the first zoning plan was made in accordance the need of people.

ILKHA