Turkish government forbids political activities in Urfa

The governor also said that citizens of other cities are not allowed to come to Urfa to hold political rallies or demonstrations.
The sun rises over Sanliurfa, southeastern Turkey, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019. (Photo: Lefteris Pitarakis/ AP)
The sun rises over Sanliurfa, southeastern Turkey, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2019. (Photo: Lefteris Pitarakis/ AP)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Salih Ayhan, the governor of Urfa, released a statement that all political activities and demonstrations in the city have been forbidden. 

The governor also said that citizens of other cities are not allowed to come to Urfa to hold political rallies or demonstrations.

April 4 marks the birthday of imprisoned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) leader Abdullah Ocalan. Ocalan was born in 1949, in the village of Amara (Omerli) in the Sanliurfa province.

He founded the PKK in 1978. The group has been engaged in an armed conflict with Turkey for nearly 40 years. The group has been designated as a terrorist organization by NATO, and by the European Union in 2004.

Ocalan lived in Syria from 1979 to 1999, until his arrest in Kenya during an intelligence operation. He was later transferred to Ankara and currently in a prison on the island of Imrali.