The ongoing conflicts between the Turkish government forces and the Kurdish Workers’ Party in the country’s southwest Diyarbakir have seriously impaired the local economy, Reuters reported. The conflicts over the past four weeks have not only cost lives but also local businesses. Aladdin, who’s been running a bag shop for 20 years, said the business has never been so bad. “The conflicts have affected 95% of our business. We couldn’t open our shops for 32 days because of the curfew and because of this, our losses are very big. We hear gunshots. We have gotten used to it,” said Aladdin. Many small business owners also have been driven to the brink of bankruptcy. The region’s unemployment rate has climbed to nearly 30%, three times the national figure. Tourists have cancelled flights and hotel occupancy rates plunged from more than 80% to 30%.
