Diyarbakır'da belediyecilik ve Kürt siyasi elitlerin üzerinden Ermeni geçmişi ile uzlaşma

To understand the relationship, and its role, between the municipality in Diyarbakır and the state, in the practices of Diyarbakır's confrontation with its Armenian history, is of great importance. The fact that "1915" has been intensively experienced in Diyarbakır and Armenian population has been vastly vanished resulted in Kurdish dominance in terms of population in the city. This change in the structure of population and the subsequent changes in the socio-economic conditions as well as the Armenian history that has been recorded by the city's memory constitute a reality in the last hundred year of the city's history. It is seen that Kurdish political actors seek a "destiny commonality" in dealing the issue of "1915". With this purpose, while examining the steps taken by Diyarbakır and Sur municipalities for confrontation, I investigated the source of the emphasis on the concept of "State" in the discourse of the political actors in Diyarbakır. Diyarbakır constitutes an important field as it carries traces of Armenian history. The fact that the steps taken by municipalities, which are units actually affiliated with the State, for confrontation are not recognised by the nation-state polities is because the pluralist identity of Diyarbakır. On the other hand, the municipalities transform the city and turn it into a multi-identity place with the steps taken for confrontation. This also constitutes provision of alternative municipality services and this demonstrates that they are counter-power against the "official power" of the State. This way, municipalities turn the place (city) into zone of resistance through their pluralist municipal activities albeit the centralist policies.