Turkish army declares southern areas 'closed military zones'

The Turkish army announced on Wednesday that it is classifying areas in the south-eastern state of Hakkari as “closed military zones” for a period of 14 days.

“The Turkish authorities announce some of the state’s areas as closed military zones to ensure security and public order against terrorist threats,” the army said in a statement. The move is widely believed to mark a clampdown on the separatist Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK).

Earlier in the day, Turkish security forces arrested a suspect in Bayburt province, north east of the country, on charges of “belonging to a terrorist organisation” as a result of links to the PKK.

The Batman province, southeast of the country announced that Turkish security forces have also arrested seven people suspected of having links to the outlawed PKK militant group in simultaneous security operations targeting 12 locations. Two rifles and documents related to PKK were confiscated during the raids, it added.

In the district of Kiziltepe, southeast of the country, two people are reported to have handed themselves to the security forces after escaping PKK, while a third person handed himself to the security forces in Siirt state, southeast of the country, after fleeing the organisation.