Turkey: Three people killed at campaign event in Suruc June 14 /update 2

Event

Three people were killed in Suruc (Sanliurfa province) on Thursday, June 14, after violence broke out a Justice and Development Party (AKP) campaign event. An AKP legislator was visiting small businesses in the Kurdish town of Suruc when violence broke out between AKP members and supporters of a local affiliate of the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). Additional incidents of electoral-related violence are possible across Turkey in the weeks leading up to the June 24 elections.

Context

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced in April that snap presidential and legislative elections will be held on June 24. According to Erdogan, the elections are necessary to implement a new system of government intended to strengthen the country. There have been several isolated incidents of political violence in Turkey in recent weeks leading up to the snap elections. In May, political violence was recorded in at least three separate incidents: İYİ (Good) Party campaign booths in Istanbul were attacked twice by suspected Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) supporters, injuring at least 13, and ultra-nationalists assaulted members of the HDP in the Bakirkoy district on May 20.

The security situation remains tense in Turkey, particularly after several protests were held across the country on April 16 against the now-passed extension of the current state of emergency. The Turkish parliament's April 18 extension of the state of emergency was the seventh such extension since its initial implementation following the failed coup d'état of July 15, 2016. Since then, nearly 116,000 people have been fired or forced to resign from their jobs and over 228,000 people have been arrested. Critics have repeatedly denounced the increasing restrictions on political freedom and human rights violations, which they claim are ongoing under the guise of national security.

Advice

Individuals in Turkey are advised to monitor the situation and avoid possible demonstrations as a precaution. Due to the risk of terrorism throughout the country, individuals present in Turkey are advised to maintain a high degree of vigilance, to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the relevant authorities, and to be particularly cautious when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels, and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, festivals, etc.).