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Violent Raid in Esenyurt Exposes Safety Crisis in Turkey

Violent Raid in Esenyurt Exposes Safety Crisis in Turkey

Shattered glass littered the pavement while blood smears and bullets holes bore witness to the terror unleashed late evening on January 9th 2023. Locals woke up to the aftermath of a deadly raid on a small shop in Istanbul’s Esenyurt suburb, which saw over a dozen armed assailants attack and grievously injure the owner and staffers. Two lives were lost in the ensuing violence including one of the miscreants, giving this incident an extra edge of enmity and turmoil.

While the details behind this brazen assault are still emerging, it has ended up laying bare the frightening collapse in safety and rule of law overtaking major swathes of Turkish urban spaces. Districts like Esenyurt, once envisioned as orderly havens for Istanbul’s working population, now stare at a bleak abyss of unchecked crime, poverty and civic dysfunction.

The January 9th tragedy has hence become a symbol of this broader systemic breakdown – one that demands immediate attention and intervention from multiple stakeholders to mitigate humanitarian and economic impacts. But to comprehend how things came to such a pass, we must revisit Esenyurt’s dramatic trajectory in recent decades.

The Demographic Boom and Civic Neglect

With over a million residents currently, Esenyurt holds the label of Istanbul’s most populous district – the result of rapid construction activity starting in the early 1990s to create affordable housing for middle and low-income groups. Positioned on the European side of the iconic metropolis, it drew thousands in search of the fabled Istanbul dream. Migrant workers came seeking employment in garment and other factories mushrooming across the district along with young families willing to put up with the chaotic infrastructure in return for owning private homes at reasonable rates.

However, even at inception warnings were sounded about the pace of population explosion vastly outpacing development of essential amenities. “Schools, parks, healthcare facilities – nothing could cope with the uncontrolled influx. And limited employment options due to lack of commercial development and transit links made poverty and crime inevitable” notes Avila Pinar, urban planning professor at Istanbul University. From barely 50,000 residents in 1980, Esenyurt crossed a million in less than 30 years – but the infrastructure lag persists till date.

The early 2000s saw another tidal wave hitting Esenyurt – hundreds of thousands displaced by regional conflicts and rural stagnation entered Turkey eventually making their way into Istanbul’s relatively affordable neighborhoods. By 2017, an estimated 2 lakh Syrian migrants along with similar numbers from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and African nations had moved into districts like Esenyurt.

The mounting pressures led to rampant illegal construction with few facilities – today experts estimate almost 30% residents in Esenyurt occupy unauthorized dwellings with limited access to basics like piped water, sewage lines or postal codes required for enrolment into schools. For women, children and elderly, the daily struggle for survival leaves lasting scars.

Plunging into Lawlessness

However, arguably the most dangerous consequence has been the spontaneous emergence of a thriving underground economy exploiting the vulnerability of marginalized communities through means fair and foul. Extortion rackets coercing local businesses into paying ‘protection money’, trafficking of contraband goods, money laundering and drug peddling – Esenyurt over the past decade has gained notoriety as the hub for organized crime networks comprising local gangs, Turkish mafia and even international syndicates according to regional law enforcement bodies like Balkan InfoSec.

Residents cite alarming instances of brazen criminality. Shopkeeper Rajesh Kumar, originally from Punjab in India tells tales of produce-carrying trucks being routinely held to ransom when passing through Esenyurt even in broad daylight. Or the mother begging fervently for the captors to release her teen daughter who disappeared walking back from work. Estimates suggest over 2000 women and girls have faced sexual assault or forced prostitution in the area.

But beyond the emotional and physical trauma, what worries citizens even more is their daily encounter with a pervading sense of lawlessness. The feeling that those with connections always find ways to evade punishment while honest denizens have lost all faith of finding justice or redressal. Kiosk owner Salim Bahar speaks of losing around 50,000 Euros in cash savings stashed away from years of hard labor after his house was burgled twice in the same month. The culprits left behind photos mocking his misery. “I immediately shifted my family out and sleep in the shop now with 4 snarling dogs since clearly no one else offers protection” he says resignedly.

Statistics Confirm the Downward Spiral

Hard numbers lay bare the chilling trajectory – according to police data, while Esenyurt today has just 5% of Istanbul’s population, it accounts for over 18% of all reported crimes. Violent crimes like murder and assault in particular show a precipitous rise – murders registered over 300% increase from 25 cases in 2014 to 94 in 2022 while drug seizures went up 2500% in the same period.

The table below highlights the divergence between Esenyurt and the average trend in Istanbul:

Clearly the implementation of law leaves much to be desired. As Esenyurt shopkeeper Yeliz Genc captures when describing the police intervention after her bag was snatched: “Two cops arrived an hour later, asked some lazy questions, shrugged saying such theft was normal now and left. Zero interest to even pretend to investigate”.

Many lay blame at political unwillingness coupled with institutional complicity. Baran Korkut, formerly a journalist exiled after signing a letter of protest explains “Esenyurt has been left to become an independent republic. Most apartments are occupied illegal but politicians gain votes, bureaucrats gain bribes and builders save costs by letting it be”. Residents frequently share video footage of culprits openly flouting rules or attacking helpless victims as groups standby mutely watching or filming. With over 300,000 refugees lacking legal status, they remain acutely vulnerable targets for exploitation both by criminal gangs and allegedly law agencies.

The January 9th Battle

It is against this dramatic reshaping of power dynamics and social relations in Esenyurt that the deadly skirmish in a nondescript liquor shop needs interpretation. As per prosecutors, what on surface seems an impulsive act of mindless violence – a dozen men armed with rods, knives and even a gun systematically ransacking the premises for over 7 minutes while assaulting the owner and staffers – has deeper roots in the ongoing tussle for controlling extortion and narcotics territory.

CCTV footage forms the backbone of police reconstruction. It shows the attackers focusing solely on causing maximum harm rather than robbing goods or money from the cash counter. Shop owner Kemal Ozturk alias Arap Kemal has allegedly rebuffed demands from one Suleyman Dal and his affiliates to cough up hefty sums towards ‘security’. The warning attack aimed to force his submission.

However what the assailants seemingly didn’t account for was Kemal’s 20-year son Hamza, present at the premises that night unlike other days. As visuals show Hamza fearlessly retaliating first through bottles and later his own pistol killing one attacker. Nonetheless being outnumbered and cornered, he ultimately fell to the bullets of Dal’s men. Hamza’s loyal pitbull also died trying to shield its young master.

The incident hence holds up a mirror to the brazen impunity and ruthlessness that has overpowered life in Esenyurt today. Where local shopkeepers and modest families are squeezed between heartless profiteers and an inactive administration. For activists, it indicated the tipping point beyond which staying mute was not an option.

What haunts many is that the perpetrators may get away lightly. Suleyman Dal along with 12 accomplices has been arrested but observers say justice is likely to be elusive given his rumored connections with MPs and even Istanbul’s Mayor.

Urban Policies Fueling Exclusion

In truth, the night of bloodshed can be seen as a warning sign for other cities as well. Experts argue myopic planning and poor governance are at the core of urban spaces derailing into poverty, conflict and crime across global south countries. Where vulnerable communities instead of being uplifted find themselves systematically excluded and marginalized.

Professor Nilufer Korkmaz spotlights flawed priorities: “Urban development has fixated on building flyovers and malls rather than rehabilitation shelters, job centers or health clinics which poorer migrants need. Segregated zoning with rich and poor areas prevents mixed development. And weakened local democracy means citizens have no say in decision making on amenities or allocation.”

The parallels with failed public housing projects worldwide are evident – from the isolated banlieues (suburbs) of Paris where immigrants facing discrimination and minimal public transport erupted into riots to crime-infested housing projects of Chicago and Boston which have seen multiple generations trapped in cycles of poverty, violence and incarceration due to underinvestment in facilities and overinvestment in aggressive policing.

“We need a holistic approach. Urban programs must consciously aim to foster inclusion and equality from early stages through housing policies, public transit access, proactive infrastructure building, localized governance and community partnership platforms rather than external interventions by an unfamiliar police or bureaucracy” emphasizes Selim Can from the Political Economy department of Bogazici University. Unfortunately, the prevailing attitude towards neighborhoods like Esenyurt has been one of detachment and neglect which the January 9th incident has ended up underscoring starkly.

When the State Retreats

What happens when areas housing over 15% of your country’s population lose faith in the state’s ability or sincerity to uphold law while also failing to establish social security platforms alleviating hunger or joblessness? Turkey may soon find out warns novelist Elif Safak, if zones akin to “no go” areas appear where gang leaders take on the role of feudal overlords.

Because amidst the apathy and chaos, there is outrage simmering. Stoked by repeated instances of visible injustice, hundreds marched in protest after the liquor shop attack seeking accountability.

Under opposition pressure, Mayor Imamoglu was compelled to announce a 100-point plan promising improvements in security, infrastructure and housing rights. However professor Nilufer and other activists already dismiss it as ‘hot air’ pointing to lack of specific budgets or timeliness, given how local polls are due in under a year. Imamoglu meanwhile faces attacks from both sides – while Erdogan mocks his party for failing to maintain law and order in Istanbul, the Mayor himself complains most police officers take orders from Ankara rather than him.

Caught between the political crossfire and callous neglect are those paying the price on the streets. Teacher Ozlem Tuna describes the creeping normalization of violence in schools: “With 15-20 students in each class witnessing crimes or abuse at home regularly, Imagine the psychological scars. They then start seeing violence as the only solution to disagreements.” She worries about the severe long term repercussions where mentoring by criminal groups replaces jobs or education for offering meaning and income in impressionable youth’s lives. Multiple surveys already report high rates of drug usage, school dropouts especially among girls and proliferation of gangs existing both on virtual space and real life.

When Dreams Die – The Human Toll

Sociologist Sanem Kulak emphasizes the core crisis is essentially one of dashed aspirations and lack of visibility into better possibilities. She explains: “The migrants came here hoping for a secure, dignified life. Over time denial of basic facilities, barriers to social mobility and constant fear of random violence has created profound disillusionment plus willingness to adopt antisocial ways for survival.” Despair manifests in forms spanning addiction, mental health issues and reckless behavior.

But beyond the psychological impact lies material costs which ripple across communities and generations. Like grandmother Elif raised by a single mom after her father disappeared and now repeating the cycle of instability for her 6-year old grandson. Of her two sons, Eyup died of overdose while the younger Halil is in prison accused of robbery. At 12, Elif left school to work; she fears Yusuf will face the same fate without support as rows of empty bottles signal the ghosts they cannot flee.

Glimpses into darkened homes reveal numerous such stories – anxious parents scared to let children play outside, youth rudderless without jobs after factories shut, aged grandparents stepping in as comforters. Over 20% of school-going children are estimated to face threats like child labor, early marriage, trafficking or sexual exploitation in the absence of security nets while women battle violence both in public spaces and inside families falling apart.

The toll has been severe confirms public health specialist Dr. Naz Erdem: “We are recording alarming spikes in suicides, drug overdose deaths and diseases related to toxicity and poor sanitation. With the exodus of educated families from zones like Esenyurt, public amenities get even more dilapidated” she despairs. Officials though insist it’s a passing phase and things can only improve hence no need for despair.

Demand for Change

Yet voices from the ground vociferously demand concrete changes rather than complacency. Student activist Leyla Kuzu captures the urgency: “Every week we see or hear about another life lost, another livelihood destroyed while the looters grow more arrogant. It’s clear the current mechanisms have failed terribly but officials refuse accountability.”

She highlights the kind of systematic interventions sorely needed. “Policing and security reform is of course vital. But equally so is clamping down on corrupt bureaucrats powering illegal construction and settlements which feed the inequality plus political leaders using criminals during elections. Alongside enhanced penalties for gender violence, the municipality should proactively invest in schools, shelters, clinics and job schemes. And decentralize power (and budgets) to neighborhood committees.”

Perhaps most significant, Kuzu stresses only an integrated approach can hope to reverse the descent. “People wrongly see this as just a law and order crisis. But when systems fail large populations so profoundly through unlivable habitats, lack of housing rights and sheer indifference to poverty…violent collapse becomes inevitable.”

She however retains optimism in the community’s resilience. “The degeneration we witness results from losing connect with our shared humanity. We must reclaim that through patience and courage even if the path ahead remains long.” Many activists echo Kuzu in underlining economic uplift and social healing are as vital as punishing miscreants. Bringing normalcy back to districts like Esenyurt may demand no less.

Time for Renewal?

Ultimately, the liquor shop encounter and lives lost are mere symptoms of the creeping paralysis overtaking entire habitats, endangering Turkey’s future stability and growth. For urban policy expert Dr. Sinan Altay, the reality check is overdue: “Faulty urbanization amidst weak oversight and surging migrations has birthed barely governable zones lacking housing, sanitation or healthcare facilities for millions entering cities in search of livelihoods. Soon blighted areas may outsize orderly localities in big cities”. Both infrastructure and institutions need urgent strengthening to retain Turkey’s economic vigor and social balance.

But political debates continue to skirt hard questions around unchecked urbanization powering inequality and non-inclusiveness. Without confronting the stark challenges and conscious policy recalibration targeting bottom-up community empowerment plus robust law enforcement, districts like Esenyurt can descend further into the abyss of lawlessness. For activists though, the first task is to spur national consciousness and spark uncomfortable truths. Leyla Kuzu sounds the warning bells: “The dystopia we glimpse today on areas deemed peripheries provides a glimpse of the future. Our collective choices now will determine whether renewal can happen…or despair ends up becoming the destiny for millions unable to escape gravity’s pull”. Glass shards outside a barricaded store in Esenyurt bear mute testimony.