UPDATE - ECHR rejects appeals to Turkish counter-terror curfews

ADDS INFO ABOUT APPEAL PROCESS

By Zafer Fatih Beyaz

ANKARA (AA) - The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) on Thursday turned back legal challenges to counter-terrorist curfews imposed in Turkey's southeast in late 2015 and early 2016.

The curfews were meant as an aid to fight the terrorist PKK in southern cities such as Silopi, Cizre, and Sur, where the group declared self-rule and dug trenches for guerrilla warfare.

The terrorist PKK broke a cease-fire in July 2015, followed by the self-rule declarations, which led to Turkish counter-terrorist operations against the group.

During these operations, security forces imposed a curfew to protect the safety of people's lives and property.

A total of 34 appeals went to the ECHR, claiming that Turkey abused human rights during curfew.

The court decided to examine two applications primarily and rejected them as inadmissible on Jan. 29.

Referring to its previous decision, the court rejected all of the remaining appeals to challenge the curfew, ruling them as inadmissible on Thursday.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK has been responsible for the deaths of nearly 40,000 people, including many women and children.