Turkish government declared curfew in 10 neighborhoods of the southeastern district of Lice in the predominantly Kurdish Diyarbakır province for a planned military operation on the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
According to a statement issued by the Diyarbakır Governor’s Office, an army operation will target PKK members, including top-level figures, and their accomplices based in the mountain and in the forestry areas in Lice. Shelters, warehouses, and anti-aircraft positions that are currently being used by the PKK will be destroyed or seized.
The statement noted that the curfew is intended to assure the safety of lives and properties of the local civilians. The curfew will start at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday and will cover the neighborhoods of Üçdamlar, Güldiken, Yaprakköy, Yorulmaz, Kılıçlı, Bayırlı, Yünlüce, Gürbeyli, Akçabucak and Baharlar. The curfew will last until further notice, the statement added.
The PKK is designated as a “terrorist organization” by the United States (US) and the European Union (EU), as well as Turkey. The 32-year-old conflict, which has claimed more than 40,000 lives, halted in March 2013 as part of the settlement process initiated between the PKK and the Turkish government. However, the PKK ended the ceasefire in the summer of 2015.