The Romani, or Gypsies, are an ethnic group that often conjures negative feelings when mentioned. They are widely dispersed throughout Europe, speak a number of dialects and number only a few million. As an avid traveler we are often told to be wary of gypsies who individually or through a complex team of people have ways of stealing from tourists often right from under their nose.

To be honest I wasn’t sure what to expect of the Romani. Walking into Sulukule it was clear that demolition was well underway. Rumors were rampant that the end was near but we did not know when. The city had started to cut water and other utilities to the small community, a sign bulldozers were coming. A small group of families remained, committed to staying because simply they had nowhere to go. Each day I would arrive early and have tea with old men at their local tea house. Many residents were born in Sulukule and their only concern was where their family would go, how they could survive. Every person has a basic right to housing and even the marginalized and stereotyped have a right to a home to raise their family. The community was by no means well-to-do. To the municipality they were an eye sore.

For centuries the Romani ran entertainment houses which were popular tourist attractions because of their signing and dancing. In 1992 when they closed down the entertainment houses it was under the premise that they didn’t pay taxes. According to residents the government would collect “informal” taxes and simply not record them or give account. There were also accusations that the entertainment houses were a front for illegal activity like prostitution and drugs. Fueled by the stereotypes and other motives municipality decided that enough was enough and tried to make them leave by ending their livelihood. Income directly or indirectly generated from the entertainment houses was the main source of revenue for the entire community. Local residents worked as musicians, dancers, cooks and waiters for these houses. Others started markets, restaurants and stores to also cater to the needs of the tourist industry. Sulukule was a self-contained and self-sustaining community.

The Roma are still identified under a 1934 law that puts them in the same class as anarchists, spies, and expatriates according to this law. The Ministry of Internal Affairs is authorized for the expulsions of the Gypsies, who are stateless or citizens of a foreign state, and of the foreigner nomads, who are not affiliated with Turkish culture. With this premise the government began to destroy the 571 homes which were legally registered under the imar affi, a process which essentially gave the Romani rights to the land on which they were living. Fatih Mayor Mustafa Demir planned to replace all the homes with “Ottoman-style housing” and claimed that the Sulukule urban renewal project is the “most social project in the world.”

In 2006, another Roma neighborhood Küçükbakkalköy was bulldozed. Three years later most of the residents were still homeless or living in impromptu settlements at the site. In May 2009 the bulldozers came again to Sulukule one last time to finish the job they started in 2006. All of the residents have been forced to leave. Some were forced to live on the streets and others have found temporary residence with family.

Whatever you may think of the Romani, every human being should be treated with dignity and respect. In this day and age to see people displaced because of their ethnicity or financial status is inexcusable.