MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Muş – In summer, many people go to the highlands of Northern Kurdistan to graze their animals. The Şenyayla region is one of the regions where people take their animals to graze them. Last year, four provincial borders of the Kurdish cities in Turkey were changed by two presidential decrees. After the decrees, the Şenyayla region of the Kulp district of Amed (Diyarbakır) province is now the region of Muş province. Mensucat Öztürk has worked as a shepherd since she rebuilt her house in her village, which was burned in 1993. But she cannot stay in her house in winter due to the lack of electricity and water in the village.

She returned to her burned village after years

Mensucat Öztürk had to leave her village located on the skirts of Mount Andok in 1993 after it was burned. After years, she returned to her village and rebuilt her house. She has worked as a shepherd in the Şenyayla region in summer to earn a living.

“The state does not provide electricity and water”

Every summer, she goes to her village in order to work as a shepherd. She told us that she faces many difficulties due to the lack of electricity and water in the village. Stating that although they have demanded electricity and water be provided to the village, neither electricity nor water is provided to the village, Mensucat Öztürk said that they meet their water needs by carrying water from the river.

“I love my region”

Mensucat Öztürk grazes the animals every year from April to October. “Every year, we come to our village. We work in our fields and raise our animals in summer. We can stay in our village in winter if we have electricity and water. However, the state does not provide electricity and water to the village. Despite everything, I work as a shepherd because I love my job and region.”

“We work to not depend on anyone”

Mensucat Öztürk told us that she will keep working as a shepherd and not leave her village again. “We will not leave our village and mountains anymore. The graves of my relatives are here. I am the only person who has returned to the village. If I could, I would live here in winter, too. Our village was burned in 1993 and we lived in the city for years. Our village is better than cities. We do not work for someone here, we work for ourselves. We work here to not depend on anyone.”