Human rights abuses

The main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) has proposed the government to suspend the curfew for those aged between 15 and 20 on May 19 National Youth and Sports Day.

Speaking at a press conference on May 12, CHP group deputy Engin Altay said allowing young people on May 20-21, but not on May 19 means undermining the importance of the national day.

Five people were arrested and 37 detained in clashes between officers and a crowd of some 250 people who had gathered in Athens' central Kypseli square after midnight on Friday.

Turkey on May 7 eased curfew restrictions for people over the age of 65, those with chronic illnesses and young people under 20 years old.

In a statement, the country's Interior Ministry said that people over 65 years old would be allowed to leave their homes, remaining within walking distance and wearing masks, on May 10 between 11.00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. local time (0800-1200GMT).

The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals announced on Monday that Ratko Mladic is recovering well from surgery and that defence and prosecution appeals against the verdict in his trial will be heard on June 16-17 in The Hague.

The appeals were originally set for March 17-18, but were postponed because the former Bosnian Serb military chief needed a colon operation.

Turkey lifted a 72-hour curfew as of midnight on May 3, which had been imposed in 31 provinces to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The government enforced its fourth weekend-long stay-at-home order, which included the May 1 International Labour Day holiday.

During that period, citizens over the age of 65 will be able to go outside on two occasion, per an hour, they said.
According to the media, the measure that will apply after curfew is banning gathering of more than two people in a public area.

Conflict and disaster forced more than 33 million people to flee within their own countries last year, putting them at greater risk amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, monitors said on April 28.    

Turkey may consider easing a curfew that was imposed on people aged 65 or older in the coming days.

The restriction on the movement of the senior citizens, which was first enforced on March 21, covers some 7.5 million people. It was introduced as part of measures designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

U.S. President Donald Trump's statement on the 1915 events is "void of objectivity," Turkey's ambassador to Washington said on April 24. 

Serdar Kılıç said the U.S. president's statement is "based on a subjective narrative which Armenians try to turn into a dogma."

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis commemorated the Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day on April 24, calling it a "perpetual lesson to reject hatred."