Turkish authorities on Saturday banned a Kurdish-organized “peace march” against Daesh scheduled to take place in Istanbul this weekend, citing security risks and traffic congestion as the reasons, AFP reported.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) organized Sunday’s rally to condemn violence by Daesh militants following a suicide bombing near the Syrian border that killed 32 people Monday.
The governor’s office in Istanbul released a statement that said the rally had been banned because of “intense traffic” in the city and “provocations” endangering security. The cancellation was also confirmed by the HDP, AFP reported.
The cancellation comes as Turkey renews airstrikes against outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions in the mountainous region of northern Iraq.
