Mardin bans all demonstrations for 15 days

The Mardin Governorate has banned all public demonstrations in the city for 15 days.

The ban includes open and closed meetings, marches, press releases, hunger strikes, sit-ins, petitions and leaflet distribution. The governorship announced that even the entrance of cars from different cities to Mardin will not be allowed, according to the Mesopotamia News Agency.

The statement by the governorship claimed that there were calls on social media for “secret actions” in Mardin and that protests were going to be organised within the city in support of the ongoing prison hunger strikes protesting the isolation of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Öcalan.

The statement also warned against the possible influence of the protests against Boğaziçi University’s trustee rector. “Social media posts seek to expand the Boğaziçi protests and spread it to other cities. We have been informed that actions, which may affect the daily life of our citizens and disrupt the public order, are planned. We ban all actions for 15 days. Those who do not obey the rules will be charged by Turkish Penal Code No. 5237, the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations No. 2911, the Public Health Law No. 1593, and other relevant laws”.

Due to military operations by the Turkish army in the east and southeast region of Turkey, many Kurdish-populated cities and districts were previously declared “temporary private security zones” by the government.

Actions and events such as meetings in public domains, squares, avenues, streets, roads and parks, as well as open meetings, demonstration marches, sit-in protests, hunger strikes, press statements, concerts, festivals, torch-lighting, and handbill distribution were banned until 30 January.

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