A vigilante campaign against Roma living in Selendi erupted on Wednesday after a dispute between a Roma man and other locals. As a result, 74 Roma, including 15 children, were forced to leave Selendi.Seven families that moved to the district of Gördes following the incidents in Selendi will now be provided with homes in Salihli. Unemployed Roma will be assisted with sending their children to school. The Salihli Social Help and Solidarity Foundation has rented out homes for the Roma families and paid one year’s rent up front.
Some of the families, however, plan on going back to their hometowns. Abdullah Cıstır, chairman of the İzmir Roma Social Help and Solidarity Foundation (İZROM), said he hopes Roma moving from Selendi will return one day. “I hope we will embrace each other warmly one day,” he added.
Manisa Governor Celalettin Güvenç said they are working on preparing the rented homes before the seven Roma families move in. He also said remarks about Roma people not being wanted in Manisa’s Salihli district are not true but gossip. Güvenç said the Roma wanted to move to Salihli and that government officials are doing what they can to help. In addition to this, the Manisa Governor’s Office will provide financial support for 21 Roma families in Selendi.
A meeting was held at the governor’s office on Friday attended by Manisa Deputy Chief of Police İbrahim Çakmak, Cıstır, Association of Contemporary Roma President Erdoğan Şener and Association of Contemporary Roma Vice President Nurullah Ağkanat.
Salihli Mayor Mustafa Uğur Okay said they will provide homes for the Roma in the area where Roma already in Salihli are located. “Moving these families to Salihli will cause no trouble to Salihli residents. Every Turkish citizen can reside where he or she wants and work at what he or she wants,” he added.
Manisa administrators and locals have attracted much negative publicity as a result of the incidents, which began on New Year’s Eve. Selendi, home to 6,000 people, is now on Turkey’s agenda because of a problem involving racism.
