The Kurdish seasonal workers who were attacked in Sakarya were placed under quarantine for seven days on the grounds of Covid-19 preventative health measures needing to be taken. This quarantine measure was imposed upon them before the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and Kurdistani alliance could visit them.
Kelekê (Yücebağ) neighbourhood and Der and Karasu fields in Mardin’s Mazıdağı district, where the Kurdish workers live, were also placed under quarantine.
The lockdown decision was taken by the Mazıdağı District Governorship on the grounds of needing to take Covid-19 preventative measures. The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and the Kurdistani alliance are scheduled to visit this neighbourhood.
The governorship stated: “It is understood that the seasonal agricultural workers travelled and have returned to their settlements. For violating the quarantine rules, public health Covid-19 monitoring will be taking place. The village will be under quarantine for seven days from 6 September 2020 at 20.00”.
After the workers returned to their village from Sakarya, having clarified that they had been attacked by employers and residents there, political parties, non-governmental organizations and journalists were blocked from reaching them to investigate the matter further. The gendarmerie has established a checkpoint to prohibit public access to the village.
