Van Governor Bans All Events for 10 Days, Permits Only May Day Rally

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The Governor of Van, a mostly Kurdish-populated southeastern province, has banned all demonstrations and event in the city for 10 days, including the May Day rally, on the ground of "the left, marginal and provocative groups making calls for taking action and holding events in the provinces where the People's Alliance lost in the March 31 local elections."

The People's Alliance is formed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

Contrarily, Confederation of Public Employees Trade Union (KESK) Branch Chair Fevzi Yaman, in the name of the Van May 1 Organization Committee, told bianet that the decision does not include the May Day rally which will be held in the Musa Anter Peace Park.

Sources at the Van Security Directorate Security Branch Directorate also confirmed to bianet that the May Day rally will be held at the Musa Anter Park. They said no other events will be permitted other than the rally.

"Because the mandates are not given..."

In a statement it released yesterday (April 29), the Governor of Van banned all marches, gatherings, press statements, sit-ins, opening booth and all kinds of similar actions and events will be banned between April 29 and May 8.

The Governorate also noted, "Following the announcement of the results of the elections on March 31, 2019, the legal appeal process has begun and because of the mentioned appeal process dragged on, the winning candidates in our province and in some districts have not been given their certificates of election and this caused tensions to rise between the citizens and the PKK/KCK (Kurdistan Workers' Party/Kurdistan Communities' Union) and the circles which sponsor them are trying to provoke our citizens to street and violent movements."

"Open and imminent threat"

The statement said, "It is evaluated that there is an open and imminent threat regarding that terrorist organizations and marginal groups may choose the events in our provincial borders as target to cause chaos, they may resort to provocative actions that could harm social peace ... crimes that are in the scope of the No 3713 Anti-Terror Law may be committed." (HA/VK)