Diyarbakır governor tries to evacuate children, elderly people in Sur

DİYARBAKIR

DHA photo

The Governor’s Office in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır issued a statement on Feb. 26 saying a corridor will be opened for the last time to evacuate children and elderly people from neighborhoods in its Sur district, which has been under curfew for 87 days.

“Today, between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., all precautions will be taken by security forces in the under-curfew neighborhoods of the Sur district and all ease will be provided for the evacuation of claimed children and elderly people from the Cumhuriyet Elementary School area to outside the operation zone,” the statement said. 

The statement also said a special unit has been carrying out operations in six Sur neighborhoods against outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants, including removing barricades raised by the militants and filling ditches in many streets. The unit also detonated explosives left by PKK militants. 

The office also said announcements for evacuation have been made at various hours and from various points for days. 

“Additionally, with the highest sensitivity by the administrative authorities and security forces, the announcements are being published in local and nationwide media organs at various times. But there has also been misleading news by some biased media organs saying that the citizens cannot leave the operation zone. Despite all the security measures taken by the security forces between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Feb. 17, 18, 19 and 23 to evacuate children and elderly people claimed to be residing in the curfew zones of Sur and to call on the terrorists to surrender, only six people reached our security forces on Feb. 19 and three terrorist [PKK] group members surrendered on Feb. 22,” the statement read. 

“Upon the claims that there are civilians remaining in the under-curfew neighborhoods despite all the security measures taken by the security forces for four days, the required security measures were taken by the security forces on Feb. 24 between 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., as this was announced a day before both through media and through announcement equipment at eight different points of the operation zone in the morning hours,” the statement added.