Curfew in 10 villages, hamlets in Bitlis province

* Photo: Bitlis Governor's Office

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A curfew has been declared in 10 villages and hamlets in Turkey's Kurdish-majority eastern province of Bitlis until further notice.

In a written statement released on the official website of the Bitlis Governor's Office, it has been announced that the curfew will be in effect in the following areas in the central district (Merkez) of the province:

Kayalıbağ, Kaşıklı, Karaca, Aşağıçobansuyu, Çobansuyu, Güllüce, Esenburun, Harmanyeri, Sarıkonak, Konalga villages and hamlets.

The Governor's Office has stated that the curfew has been imposed after they were informed that "there were Separatist Terrorist Organization (TSO) members who took refuge/shelter within the boundaries of the 10 villages and hamlets in the district of Central Bitlis."

Accordingly, "with the aim of catching the TSO members in question and to ensure the safety of life and property of the people," the Governor's Office of Bitlis has declared a curfew in the aforementioned regions as of January 11 at 9.30 p.m. until further notice. The curfew has been imposed as per the Article 11/C of the Law no. 5442 on Provincial Administration.*

About Bitlis According to data of 2015, the population of the city is 341,225. 64% of the population live in city and 36% in rural areas. The Ministry of Interior appointed Governor Ahmet Çınar as political trustee to Bitlis Municipality in 2016. Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chairs Hüseyin Olan and Nevin Daşdemir Dağkıran were detained on November 24, 2016 and then were arrested on charge of “being a member of a terrorist organization, carrying out actions on behalf of a terrorist organization, aiding and abating a terrorist organization”. Former Bayburt Governor İsmail Ustaoğlu was appointed as mayor on June 21, 2017. As of the last local elections in Turkey on March 31, 2019, Nesrullah Tanğlay was elected as Bitlis Mayor from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

* Law no. 5442 on Provincial Administration, Article 11 - Additional paragraph: "The governor can restrict entries and exits to certain places in the province for 15 days at most for people who are suspected to disturb public order and public security, when the public order is disturbed or serious indications are present to show that it will be disturbed; can regulate or restrict people's wanderings or gatherings in certain places and certain hours and can ban any type of weapon and ammunition from being kept."

(TP/SD)