Police detain 89 suspects in eastern cities over election protests

Van Governorship imposes a 15-day ban on protests and gatherings following the detention of 89 individuals for participating in unauthorized marches in several cities and expressing support for the PKK terrorist group

Turkish authorities detained 89 individuals during protests in various locations, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said in a social media post on Wednesday.

The individuals were allegedly expressing support for a PKK terrorist group and throwing stones at security forces despite prior warnings. 

Around 26 people were detained in Van, 29 in Hakkari Yuksekova, nine in Hakkari Merkez, four in Siirt, five in Batman, 10 in Sirnak and six in Izmir.

“Our security forces continue to work tirelessly for the peace and security of our country,” Yerlikaya said. 

Prohibition order from Van governor

Van province Governorship has announced a ban on protest marches, open-air meetings, and indoor gatherings for 15 days, effective from April 3 to April 17

Additionally, activities such as press releases, sit-in protests, surveys, tent and booth setups, signature campaigns, leaflet distribution, and all kinds of protest activities have been banned, except for those deemed appropriate by the Governorship and District Governorship.

The statement also mentioned that individuals and groups likely to participate in illegal actions and activities will not be allowed to enter or exit the provinces and districts.

What happened in Van?

Abdullah Zeydan and Neslihan Sedal, co-mayoral candidates of the  Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), won the Van Metropolitan Municipality by a margin of about 20 points. All 14 municipalities, including the Van Metropolitan Municipality, transitioned to the DEM Party.

However, upon the Ministry of Justice’s request, a new court decision was issued stating that Zeydan could not run as a candidate. If the Van Provincial Election Board decides in accordance with this court decision, the Van Metropolitan Municipality will be transferred to the AK Party, the second-largest party in the city.

In protest of this development, DEM Party supporters staged a protest march, voicing slogans such as “Trustees cannot intimidate us,” “Pressures cannot deter us,” “Abdullah Zeydan is our pride,” and “The people of Van stand by their votes and will.”

Police, taking extensive security measures in the city center, dispersed the crowd using water cannons and tear gas. Some of the supporters fled to other streets, throwing stones at riot police and armored vehicles.

Source: Newsroom

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