While the “curfew” and attacks have been going on for the last 13 days in line with the martial law practices in Hakkari’s Gever (Yüksekova) district, the road between Şemdinli and Gever has been closed for transit by the order of the governorate. By the blocking of the road that is the only connection to the outside world for the Şemdinli district with a population of 70.000, local people are put under a “de facto curfew”.

Şemdinli Co-Mayor Seferi Yılmaz informed ANF that the Bigejne (Koryürek) and Mavan (Samanlı) villages are also under a blockade and demanded the martial law be lifted immediately.

OPEN TO THEIR SUPPORTERS, CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC

Yılmaz pointed out that the Şemdinli-Gever road has been closed for 14 days with the governorate’s order citing the operations, saying that nobody can go through without permission from the governorate and that it’s usually the government supporters who can pass except for those with urgent medical conditions.

Stating that the special security zone order issued by the Governorate was cited as the reason in their meeting with the district governor, Yılmaz said “Aside from the blocking of the road, all demonstrations/activities are banned by the Governorate’s order. The only reason the district governor can give us is the Governorate order.”

“SERIOUS HUMANITARIAN AND VITAL PROBLEMS WILL ARISE”

Stressing that a “de facto curfew” was imposed upon the people of Şemdinli since the ban and the attacks began in Gever, Yılmaz said the district of 70.000 residents was being cut off from the entire world.

Saying that the district residents can survive for now because of the precautions they took earlier, Yılmaz emphasised that serious humanitarian and vital problems will arise unless the ban and the blockade are lifted.

“VILLAGES ARE ALSO UNDER BLOCKADE”

Saying that the villages in Şemdinli’s Derecik town Bigejne, population of over 1000 people, and Mavan, with more than 50 households, are also under the blockade, Yılmaz stated that nobody was allowed into the villages except for people who are registered there and that the village was under a blockade.

Giving information on some civilians being transported from Yüksekova to Van over the Şemdinli-Dağlıca road on certain days of the week with buses, Yılmaz added, “We believe these people are the refugees from Syria and Iraq in Yüksekova, around 3 thousand people. This is the information we have.”

“LET US RISE UP”

Şemdinli Co-Mayor Seferi Yılmaz emphasised that the martial law application must end as soon as possible and called all the peoples of Kurdistan and Turkey to rise up against the martial law applications and the massacres.