NGOs protest 1,800-day demonstration ban in Van province

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Based in Turkey's Kurdish-majority eastern province of Van, a group of non-governmental organizations held a press conference at the Van Bar Association Tahir Elçi Conference Hall yesterday (October 27) and protested the 1,800-day demonstration ban of the Governor's Office.

The joint statement was read out by Van Bar Chair Zülküf Uçar. Recalling that the ban on meetings and demonstrations that has been in force for five years has become permanent with the Van Governor's Office's successive decisions of extension, Uçar raised concerns that people are faced with disproportionate use of force by the police and penal sanctions.

NOTE: The ban on meetings and demonstrations has been in effect in Van since July 21, 2016, when a State of Emergency was declared across Turkey following the failed coup attempt on July 15.

'Bans are against the law'

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Uçar underlined that the ban has been imposed in violation of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) and Constitutional Court judgements and the law.

Uçar also referred to a recent police intervention against the physicians' press statement aimed at commemorating deceased assistant physician Rümeyse Berin Şen in Ankara and raising concerns about assistant physicians' heavy workload and poor working conditions.

The Van Bar Chair stressed that "the press statement made by medical chambers in several provinces of Turkey could not be held in Van due to the interventions of the law enforcement that constituted a crime." He noted that "the detention of people during the intervention was against the law and constituted all elements of the offense of 'deprivation of liberty'."

Zülküf Uçar also stressed that "while the Article 17 of the Law no. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations, based on which the ban has been imposed by the Governor's Office, says that a specific meeting shall be banned, the Office has banned all meetings and demonstrations."

'It has already been more than 'enough"'

Recalling that the demonstration ban was first imposed in Van during the State of Emergency after the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016, Van Bar Chair Zülküf Uçar stated that "there is an attempt to make these bans on meetings and demonstrations permanent."

Uçar indicated that "it has already been more than 'enough is enough' for the society in the face of these bans."

Reiterating that it is unacceptable for the governor's office to disregard and deny people their fundamental rights and freedoms, which are also guaranteed by the Constitution, Uçar called for an end to the mindset of governance with bans on rights and freedoms.

Concluding his remarks, Van Bar Association Chair Zülküf Uçar condemned the recent intervention against the healthcare workers during their press statement in Van, urged the authorities to immediately abandon their unlawful bans on meetings and demonstrations in the province and declared that they will follow up the related judicial proceedings to the end.

The press conference was attended by:

Van Bar Association, Van-Hakkari Medical Chamber, Human Rights Foundation of Turkey (TİHV-HRFT) Van Representative, KESK Branches Platform, Lawyers for Freedom Association (ÖHD) Van Branch, STAR Women's Association, Free Women's Movement (TJA) activists, Van Environment Association, Van Dentists' Chamber, TUHAY-DER, Human Rights Association (İHD) Van Branch and Serhat Migration Research Association executives.

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İpekyolu Co-Chairs also supported the joint statement for the press. (SO/SD)