The Turkish regime extended the ban on gatherings and events in Hakkari for another 15 days.

Hakkari Governorship decided to extend the ban on gatherings and events until March 15 across the city.

The statement of the governorship cited "indivisible unity", "national security" and "public order" as reasons for the ban.

ARBITRARY BANS IN PLACE FOR YEARS

The state of emergency in Kurdish cities has been systematically extended for years.

In the city of Urfa a ban on gatherings and events was imposed for a month on February 26.  The ban was extended for another 15 days in Mardin on February 21.

A similar decision was made in Van on February 17. The ban in the city had been automatically extended on February 2. On February 12, the authorities decided to extend the ban on gatherings and events in Hakkari. In Dersim province, there has been a ban on "gatherings and events" for more than eight months.

According to a 2020 report of rights violations prepared by the Amed Branch of the Human Rights Association (IHD), the government declared 4 cities and 13 districts of these cities to be "special security zones” last year. Bans were periodically extended in these cities. Moreover, curfews were declared 13 times in 3 city centers and 96 villages / neighborhoods in 8 districts of these cities including dozens of hamlets connected to these villages / neighborhoods.