‘At Least 351 Curfews Declared in Last 3.5 Years’

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The Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV) has shared information regarding the curfews declared from August 16, 2015 to January 1, 2019.

According to the figures announced by the Foundation, within the indicated 1,234-day period, at least 351 officially confirmed curfews were declared in 11 provinces and at least 51 districts in Turkey.

The starting date of the data has been determined as August 16, 2015 since it marks the first day, when indefinite curfews (ending dates of which are not announced beforehand) and/or round-the-clock curfews (which are expected to be in effect for 24 hours) started to be declared.

Highest number of curfews in Diyarbakır

The figures have shown that Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır has been the city, where the highest number of curfews were declared.

Accordingly, in 3 years, 4 months and 16 days since August 16, 2015; 

204 curfews were declared in Diyarbakır, 54 curfews in Mardin, 23 curfews in Hakkari, 13 curfews in Şırnak, 20 curfews in Bitlis, 7 curfews in Muş, 7 curfews in Bingöl, 6 curfews in Tunceli, 6 curfews in Batman, 2 curfews in Elazığ and 9 curfews were declared in Siirt.

The curfews with hour limitations have not been included in this count.

In addition, from August 11, 2017 to January 1, 2019, at least 23 curfews with hour limitations (within the time period indicated in the announcement) were declared in different villages and hamlets in the district of Şemdinli in Hakkari and in Hizan, Güroymak, Mutki, Tatvan and Merkez (Center) in Bitlis.

As stated by the TİHV Documentation Center, according to the last population census conducted in Turkey in 2014, at least 1 million 809 thousand people were living in the related districts.

It is estimated that fundamental rights of these people such as the right to liberty and security; right to privacy, family, home or correspondence; freedom of assembly and association; freedom of religion; freedom to receive and impart information; right to reserve of property; right to education and right to life; right to health and prohibition of torture were violated. (OI/EKN/SD)