Numerous regions in the northern Kurdish provinces of Bitlis and Şırnak have been declared temporary special security zones. The process is related to military operations against the guerrillas and also includes curfews.
In the provinces of Bitlis and Şırnak in northern Kurdistan, numerous regions have been declared temporary special security zones due to operations by the Turkish army against the guerrillas. For the local population, the measures, which will initially last for 15 days, mean a de facto state of emergency.
In Bitlis, among other places, a mountainous forest area that lies within the jurisdiction of the gendarmerie was declared a restricted zone. According to the governor's office for the province, the aim is to prevent national security and public order from being jeopardised and to prevent "activities by members of terrorist organisations". A de facto curfew is in force in the region.
The affected region in the Hizan district includes a hazel forest, which is known to keep the adjacent village economy alive, as well as ten densely populated villages and hamlets, on which a curfew had already been imposed at the beginning of July in the course of an air-supported military operation. For five days, the inhabitants of the affected villages were forbidden to leave their homes and people were cut off from the outside world. During the operation, fighting took place and the army carried out bombardments in the immediate vicinity of villages.
Bombardments are also taking place in the current military operation in Hizan. The Mezopotamya news agency (MA) reported that heavy shelling by attack helicopters took place on Friday in the vicinity of the villages of Xûlepûr (Yolbelen) and Kekulan (Çalışkan). According to the report, the attacks continued for several hours and the aircraft circled in the sky over the bombed region again today. A resident who wanted to irrigate his fields and apparently had no knowledge of the ban on access has been in the custody of the gendarmerie since Saturday morning.
In Şırnak, a total of eleven areas have been declared a temporary special security zone by the Turkish authorities. The order applies to highlands in the districts of Cizîr (Cizre), Silopiya (Silopi), Basan (Güçlükonak), Qilaban (Uludere), Elkê (Beytüşşebap) as well as in the province of Şırnak. Among others, Mount Cudi, the Besta region, Kureşin, the Serin Valley and the Faraşîn region are concerned.
