Police Intervention in March Towards Sur

Click here to read the article in Turkish / Haberin Türkçesi için buraya tıklayın

Police have intervened in the march held in Diyarbakır against curfews and operations in Sur district.

According to report of Dicle News Agency (DİHA), police have attacked with pressured water and gas bombs on people gathering in front of Democratic Society Congress in Yenişehir district. The mass has retaliated with stones.  

People gathering at different points of the city continue to try to walk towards Sur, the report added.

JİNHA reporter Beritan Elyakut informing bianet has expressed that Diyarbakır Governorship has barred entrance and exits to the district are barred as of 12 a.m.

The district has been closed off for every entrance except for persons residing in Sur.

What had happened?

On the joint press conference on February 29, Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Co-Chair Selahattin Demirtaş, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Kamuran Yüksek, Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) Co-Spokesperson Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Democratic Society Congress (DTK) Co-Chairs Hatip Dicle and Selma Irmak had called for a march to Sur district to protest against the curfew in Sur which had been in effect for approximately three months.

HDP Co-Chair Demirtaş had noted; “Everybody should march to Sur at 4 p.m. on Wednesday (March 2) until barricades are removed and the bans are lifted in Sur. 

Following the statements, a probe has been launched by Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecution Bureau of Terror Crimes Investigation into Demirtaş and Yüksek. (BK/TK)