Woman who lost legs in ISIS attack fired from job by appointed Diyarbakır mayor

Özlem Akarsu Çelik/ DUVAR

Following an ISIS bomb attack that occurred on June 5, 2015 in Diyarbakır during a rally of the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP), Lisa Çalan lost both of her legs. Çalan was recently fired from her job at the Diyarbakır Municipality by the appointed mayor that was chosen by the government to run the city after the democratically-elected HDP mayor was stripped from his post last year. 

Çalan was fired together with eight other employees, some of whom were musicians and theatre actors. The reason that the muncipality provided was that the employees were “no longer necessary.” Çalan had been working in the cultural department of the Diyarbakır municipality since 2016 as a designer. 

“The appointed mayors have fired many of our colleagues from 2016 up until now. I am one of them. Of course I am no different than those who have lost their jobs. The one difference is that due to my physical conditions my possibility of finding a job is considerably limited compared to others,” Çalan said, adding that she had guessed she would eventually end up being fired. 

“Isn't it strange that a woman who was a victim of ISIS would end up being victimized by being fired from her job?” Çalan queried, adding that she had received reparations for being injured in the attack and the suspects have been convicted. 

“After I lost my legs I went through so many surgeries that I cannot even remember how many there were. My treatment is ongoing. In order for the maintenance of my mechanical prosthetic legs, and for treatment I need insurance. Everyone knows this. On a regular basis I am going abroad to have the settings of my prosthetics adjusted. All of these costs I am covering on my own. I never abandoned standing on my feet and attending the trials and standing against the murderers and struggling so that they pay the price, and I will continue to struggle against those that have treated me unjustly,” Çalan said.