35,544 people fined for violating COVID-19 curfew in a week

* Photo: Emin Sansar - Ankara / AA

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Turkey's Ministry of Interior has announced that a legal or administrative action has been taken against 35 thousand 544 people who did not abide by the country-wide COVID-19 curfews on January 4-11.

The country ended the sixth weekend curfew in the early morning hours today (January 11) aimed at helping to stem the spread of COVID-19. The curfew began on Friday at 9 p.m. and ended on Monday at 5 a.m. The curfew is also in effect from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. on weekdays.

In a written statement released by the Ministry of Interior within this context, it has been indicated that the citizens, in the sixth week of countrywide restrictions, abided by them to a considerable extent.

The Ministry has announced that a legal or administrative action has been taken against 35,544 citizens for failing to comply with the restrictions as per the Law on Public Health and/or Turkish Penal Code (TCK).

CLICK - 'Police don't have the authority to "fine citizens on the street"'

'Fines are null and void'

However, İstanbul Branch Chair of the Progressive Lawyers Association (ÇHD) Gökmen Yeşil previously spoke to bianet about the issue and underlined that the administrative bodies, i.e. police officers and governor's offices, did not have the authority to impose such fines on people.

"Even if a state of emergency had been declared due to the 'dangerous epidemic disease', the administration would not have the authority to impose a curfew," said lawyer Yeşil and briefly added:

"Therefore, it needs to be underlined that curfews of every stripe which have been in effect stem from procedures where the principle of lawfulness has been clearly trampled upon and, in that sense, they are 'unlawful.' So, all related proceedings are also null and void."

After the fine is notified to the person, he or she has the right to object by appealing to the authority indicated in the notification within 15 days. (AS/SD)