Press Statement Prohibited in Sur

Diyarbakır Governorship has prohibited press statement, rallies and demonstrations.

Diyarbakır

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Activities such as press statement, meeting, demonstration, rally, setting up tent have been banned in Turkey's southeastern Sur district of Diyarbakır province whose 15 neighborhoods have been under curfew as of December 11.

The governorship justified its decision as "preventing people from getting hurt during the process of removing barricades, ditches and that disposing bombed mechanisms".

The governorship grounded its decision on related articles of Law for Provincial Administration on "public order".

The Peace Group consisting of people independent from organizations had issued a statement at Monument of Love yesterday (December 30) and met with Governor and Co-Mayors. The group reached in Diyarbakır today (December 31).

CLICK - PEACE GROUP IN DİYARBAKIR: STREETS QUIET, GUNSHOTS FROM SUR

The curfew imposed on six neighborhoods and one street in Sur as of December 2 had been paused for 17 hours on December 11. The curfew lifted for Gazi Street on December 30 is ongoing in the six neighborhoods.

About Sur district

Sur district is one of four districts of Diyarbakır. Sur is named after the walls surrounding the district.

Co-Mayors: Fatma Şık Barut, Şeyid Narin (DBP – Democratic Regions Party)

Sub-Governor: Dr. Memduh Tura

There are 53 neighborhoods in the district.

It is possible to see a large number of historical artifacts and traces left from huge civilizations in the district.

Historical artifacts in Sur district

Diyarbakır Walls of five kilometers, which is candidate to be World Cultural Heritage, is one of the most significant historical artifacts of the district.

* Old Diyarbakır houses

* Museum houses of Cahit Sıtkı Tarancı, Ziya Gökalp and Ahmet Arif

* Dicle Bridge

* Archeology Museum

* Kadı Hamamı (Kadi Turkish bath)

Mosques

* Behrampaşa, Fatihpaşa (Kurşunlu), Safa Parlı, Melik Ahmet Pasha, Ali Pasha, Aynalı Minare, Nasuh Pasha, Hz. Ömer, Nebi and Sheikh Mutahhar

* Hz. Süleyman Mosque and 27 companion graves in it

* Anatolian’s first public sanctuary, Diyarbakır Grand Mosque

* Dört Ayaklı Minare (Qaudruped Minaret)

Churches

* Virgin Mary Church, İçkale (Inner Fortress) and St. George Church, Mar Petvun Keldani Church, Armenian Protestant Church, Surp Giragos Church