A ban on access to Mount Gabar in Şırnak has been in force since last year, cutting off entire region from the outside world and subjecting it to the control and arbitrariness of the military.
A ban on access to Mount Gabar in the province of Şırnak in northern Kurdistan, which has been in force for months, has been extended once again. The governor's office announced on Monday that the “measure" has been extended by fifteen days for the sixth time in a row.
The ban on access to Mount Gabar is related to operations by the Turkish army against the Kurdish guerrillas. After temporary interruptions, the mountain range between the district of Güçlükonak and the center of Şırnak was declared a so-called "special security zone" on December 26. According to the new order, the measure will remain in force until March 25 for the time being.
The creation of "special security zones" is part of a larger development in which restricted military areas are being established in various parts of northern Kurdistan. As a result, entire areas are cut off from the outside world and are subject to the control and arbitrariness of the military. These measures place a considerable burden on the Kurdish rural population and increase the pressure on residents to leave the affected areas.
