Special security zone declared in Şırnak

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The Governorship of Şırnak has declared certain regions in the central and Uludere districts of the province a "special security zone."

Entrances to these regions were banned starting from 19:00 pm on July 27 until 24:00 on August 10, 2023. 

The governorship had again declared on July 14 some regions in the central, Cizre, Silopi, Güçlükonak, Uludere, and Beytüşşebap districts of Şırnak special security zone for 15 days. 

The villagers in the region cannot continue their agriculture and livestock farming activities, warns the Green and Left Party (YSP) Şırnak MP Zeki İrmez. 

In a press briefing in the Parliament in Ankara on Wednesday (July 26) he requested that a parliamentary commission be established in order to compensate the losses of the villagers. 

"Mining activities continue"

"The temporary special security zones are one great problem. Do not be mistaken with the expression "temporary." The 15-day entrance bans are systematically being extended. Agriculture, livestock breeding and beekeeping activities in the region have ended. The citizens are not able to use their meadows," İrmez conveyed. 

The MP argued that the aim is to force the villagers to migrate. He also underlined that mining activities continue in the region without being banned, while the entrances of ordinary citizens to the special security zones are banned.

Curfew and special security zone in Bitlis

The Governor's Office of Bitlis declared an indefinite curfew in the Hizan district of Bitlis on July 2 which lasted for four days, and a region within the district was declared a special security one on July 15 for fifteen days.

The villagers in the Bilgili, Yaylacık, Sarıbal, Yeniçay, Yolbilen, Çalışkanlar, Gedik, Akyazı, Erencik, and Otluk villages of Hizan district were banned from entering their fields and turning out their animals during the four days of curfew.

"Trees uprooted"

Mahmet Saki Altun from the Yolbilen (Xolipur) village said on July 9 that hazelnut and fruit trees he owned were damaged in the bombardment after the declaration of curfew, and some were uprooted later using diggers brought by the soldiers.

Altun doubts that the real motive is security.

"There was no problem here. No member of any terrorist organization. Not the slightest unrest. We have to live here, we cannot abandon our land. We grow hazelnuts, we have a land full of hazelnut trees," he told MA.

"We do not have any other source of income. Curfew was declared and we were taken into custody. Our fields were bombed and as if that was not enough they entered into our fields with diggers and uprooted our fruit trees. There is so much land that nobody owns and is not cultivated. They have done nothing there. They have done everything on our land.

"They are trying to force us to migrate. I will make a criminal complaint," Altun said.

(UY/EMK/TY/AÖ/PE)