Turkish authorities in the southeastern Mardin province, which borders Syria, have imposed a six-day ban on all public gatherings and protests. The decision, announced Monday, follows widespread public anger over a military offensive targeting Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.
The ban was instituted after more than 1,000 people attempted to cross the border into Syria from the town of Nusaybin last week in a protest against the operation.
In a formal statement, the Mardin governorate specified the scope of the prohibition, which will remain in effect until Saturday evening. “With the exception of events deemed appropriate… any action intended to be carried out in open spaces (gatherings, marches, press conferences, hunger strikes, sit-ins, the setting up of stands, the pitching of tents, the distribution of leaflets/brochures, the posting of posters/banners, etc.) is prohibited,” the statement read.
The pro-Kurdish DEM party had previously called for a protest to be held on Tuesday in Nusaybin, a town directly across the border from the Syrian city of Qamishli.
This measure follows a similar ban on outdoor gatherings implemented in Diyarbakir, the largest city in the predominantly Kurdish southeast, which was in place from Friday to Monday. The escalating tensions and security measures threaten to complicate the ongoing peace process between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
