Lawyers say the state, which failed to supervise the tonnes of food the IHH transported outside the country, is after the bags of sugar and flour the people purchase.

NOTICE ISSUED

Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu sent a notice to the Gendarmerie General Command and police directorates and announced food embargos in 32 provinces including Agri, Batman, Bingol, Bitlis, Amed, Elazig, Erzincan, Erzurum, Van, Trabzon, Giresun and Gumushane.

The notice said: “Bulk purchases of food stuffs like flour, sugar, canned goods, halwa and jams from bulk sale stores, supermarkets and corner shops will be monitored by security forces and there will be an emphasis on intelligence. Trucks, vans, minibuses and other such suspicious vehicles will be searched in detail in road controls. Persons in possession of food and vital necessities that could be used by the terrorist organization will be interrogated in detail on where they live, their route and the number of people they are providing the aliments for.”

“EVERYBODY DECLARED POTENTIAL SUSPECTS”

Lawyer emal Demir said the situation surpasses that of the 1990’s: “In the ‘90s, it was just the consumption that was overseen, but now almost all factories that produce food stuffs and vital necessities will be under control. This is certainly an embargo. Which citizens will they inspect, based on what? It is time to think in a more sensible way, instead of policies to adversely affect the lives of our people and make them into potential suspects. In our villages, people prepare for the winter and buy their vital needs in bulk, such as 20-30 bags of flour or sugar because access to city centers is limited. Now, will these people be detained and questioned for buying in bulk? This is a martial law practice. And, will they be inspecting the tonnes of food stuffs the IHH transports? How can something that is allowed for them be banned for the citizens?”

“PEOPLE WITH PREVIOUS DETENTIONS WILL HAVE A HARD TIME”

Lawyer Feyzi Celik said: “According to the Constitution, people have the economic freedom to fufill their needs. There is no legal obstacle against buying in whatever amount people want. If the individuals have been detained in the past, they will be given a hard time in acquiring their vital needs and food. There is no constitutional basis for this, people have the right to purchase however much product they wish. Such practices don’t even have a place under martial law. This is an arbitrary administrative measure. There can’t be a restriction on the purchase of goods under martial law or the state of emergency. This is completely arbitrary.”