Turkish authorities bombard, impose curfews on Kurdish southeast

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Kurdistan24) – On Saturday, Turkish authorities expanded round-the-clock curfews in the surrounding areas of the southeastern Kurdish city of Diyarbakir.

Kurdistan24 office in Diyarbakir learned from the city’s governor’s office that the Turkish government announced further curfews.

The start of round-the-clock curfew on 13 villages in the Lice district began at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday and will remain until further notice.

In an official statement, Diyarbakir governor’s office listed the names of the villages with curfews enforced.

“The curfew includes Xosor, Saxur, Barav, Ulucak, Dizdeyni, Buyukcag, Kilicli, Konuklu, Bayrili, Yesilburc, Bayirli, Baharlar, and Akcabudak,” the statement said.

Additionally, Turkey's leading secular media Hurriyet Daily News reported on Saturday that Turkish warplanes conducted an air operation on Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) bases in the rural areas of the Lice district. 

“A total of 16 PKK targets, including sanctuaries and shelters housing the militants, were destroyed in the air operation conducted between 10:05 a.m. and 10:41 a.m. following intelligence assessments in the region,” the report revealed.

On June 4, Turkish authorities imposed round-the-clock curfews on nine towns and villages in the Lice district.

On Jan. 21, in a detailed report, UK-based human rights group Amnesty International focused on the atrocities of the Turkish army against the Kurds in the country’s southeast.

“Research carried out by Amnesty International in areas under curfew and reports from residents in areas that are currently inaccessible to external observers, reveal the extreme hardships they are currently facing as a result of harsh and arbitrary measures,” Amnesty reported.

Since a ceasefire between the PKK and the Turkish government collapsed last July, round-the-clock curfews were instituted in parts of the southeast.

More notably, since March 14, in the towns of Nusaybin and Sirnak where unceasing shelling and clashes took place between the Turkish army and PKK fighters.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany