As of 16 August 2015, there has been 58 officially confirmed, open-ended and round-the-clock curfews in at least 19 districts of 7 cities (Diyarbakır, Şırnak, Mardin, Hakkâri, Elazığ, Muş, Batman) that approximately 1 million 377 thousand people resides (according to the 2014 population census). During these officialy declared curfews, fundemental rights of people such as Right to Life and Right to Health are violated and 198 civilians (39 children, 1 stillbirth due to gunshot, 29 women, 27 people over the age 60) were killed according to the data of HRFT Documentation Center.
Between the dates 16 August 2015 and 11 December 2015, there was again curfews without any legal basis. However, as of 11 December 2015 the impose form of curfews, the broadness of regions that curfews are declared, military dispatch[1] and thoughen statements of government and State officials show that by the date 11 December 2015, a different step has been taken, another period has begun in especially some districts of the region.
The regions, where curfews are declared on 11 December 2015 are; Sur District of Diyarbakır (it was under curfew since 3rd of December. It was lifted for 17 hours and continued on 11th of December again), Dargeçit District of Mardin (is lifted on 29 December 2015, on 18th day of the curfew). And, the regions, where curfews are declared on 14 December 2015 are; Cizre (still ongoing on 38th day) and Silopi Districts (still ongoing on 38th day but changed to night-long curfews on 19 January 2016) of Şırnak and again Nusaybin District of Mardin (lifted on 24 December 2015, on 10th day) are still going on and at least 113 civilians were killed (19 of them are children, 19 of them are women and 17 of them are over the age 60, also another one is stillbirth due to gunshot).
Moreover, according to the statements of witnesses at least 40 of these people were killed while they were within the boundaries of their homes, due to opened fire or hitting by a missile or due to the direct stress effect of curfews on their health conditions.
Also, 4 people (3 in Sur district and 1 in Nusaybin district) were killed in the close neighbourhoods where no curfew was declared and no operation was ongoing. [2]
Lastly, according to the limited information that we could obtain by press and online videos, at least 21 civilians lost their lives between the dates 11 December 2015 – 22 January 2016, due to not being able to reach the ambulances by reason of the blockings of security forces. Within the last week, European Court of Human Rights approved 3 urgent injunction requests about wounded Hüseyin Paksoy, Serhat Altun and Orhan Tunç in Cizre. However, 2 of them lost their lives and Orhan Tunç’s condition is still unknown by reason of the ECHR decisions are not performed.
NOTE: Within the context of this fact sheet the term ‘security forces’ is implying to ‘Police Anti-terror Combat Team, Police Special Forces, Gendarmarie Special Forces, Military Forces and Riot Polices.’ Also, there are some unofficial teams which are both by themselves and publicly defined as JİTEM, Esedullah, Hançer [Dagger] Teams etc.
[1]Even though it’s not officialy declared, according to the national media almost 10 thousand members of security forces are active in operations in each district that curfews are ongoing (Cizre, Sur, Silopi). Moreover, it’s known that hundreds of armored military vehicles such as tanks, panzers, cannons etc. Are dispatched to the relative districts/cities.
[2] These people are: Şerdıl Cengiz (21-Bağlar district), Şiyar Salman (18-Bağlar district) and Şiyar Baran (13-Seyrantepe district) in SUR and Emire Gök (39-Gırnavas Mah.) in NUSAYBİN. Note: In Nusaybin, the curfew was declared first in some districts. On 4th day it was broadened to whole district.