Polls closed in eastern provinces under tight security

DİYARBAKIR/ŞIRNAK/MUŞ/HAKKARİ – Doğan News Agency

DHA photo

Polls closed in 32 eastern provinces of Turkey on Nov. 1 at 4 p.m. amid intense security measures due to recent clashes in the region.

During the polling hours, police special operations team stood ready near schools in the Sur district of Diyarbakır, which had previously experienced eight curfews during clashes between security forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). 

In addition, security forces checked the IDs of voters and conducted body searches in the southeastern province of Şırnak following a court decision. Voters formed long queues due to the transfer of ballot boxes in some schools. In addition, trenches and barricades dug near the polling stations were also covered up before polling.

Meanwhile, security forces also apprehended 15 suspects who were wanted for various crimes in the eastern province of Muş during the voting.

Voters in the Yüksekova district of Hakkari had to cast their votes in different neighborhoods due to trenches and barricades dug by locals to protect themselves against aggression by security forces.