ŞIRNAK - In a written statement, the Governor’s Office of Turkey’s Kurdish-majority Şırnak province has said that “provocative” demonstrations will be held on September 1 World Peace Day and banned the events and demonstrations for 15 days.

 

The Governor's Office of Şırnak has announced that meetings, demonstrations, marches, press statements and similar other events and occasions have been banned in Şırnak and its districts for 15 days.

 

According to the statement published on the official website of the governor's office, the ban entered into force on August 19 at 0.01 a.m. Among the events banned by the office are also commemorations held at graves.

 

The statement of the office has first referred to the COVID-19 outbreak: "...with the aim of managing the risks posed by outbreak for public health, preventing the outbreak from spreading and endangering our citizens' lives, maintaining public order and security, protecting fundamental rights and freedoms, the rights and freedoms of others and public peace, preventing any unfavorable situations that might arise..."

 

Against this background, the statement has moved on to share the following presumptions: "...it is considered that, on the occasion of September 1 World Peace Day and coordinated by the structures 'supporting the organization', provocative demonstrations, marches, press statements might be held, they might be provoked by the supporting group in such a way to create chaos by burning vehicles and workplaces, closing roads, making illegal demonstrations, throwing stones, molotov cocktails and improvised explosive devices and social incidents can arise by deviating legal/illegal meetings and demonstrations from their aims..."

 

The statement has indicated that "the risk of these demonstrations to be provoked and turned into social incidents is high," adding that they might also increase the risk of coronavirus to spread further.

 

The banned events have been listed as follows: "All demonstrations and events such as all types of open-air meetings and marches, mass welcoming and farewell ceremonies, press statements to be held by institutions and organizations outside their buildings, sit-in protests, rallies, setting up tents, petitions, opening stands, mass funeral ceremonies, commemoration ceremonies, festivities, concerts, entertainment, theater plays, performances, etc.; distributing leaflets and fliers, hanging banners or placards."