ISTANBUL, 2 May 2021, (TON): Turkey’s Directorate General of Security has issued a circular banning citizens from filming or recording police officers during demonstrations.

Amid COVID-19 and pandemic lockdown, only the leaders of labor unions were allowed to hold memorials to mark Labour Day on 1 May. More than 200 demonstrators were kept in preventive detention in defiance of the lockdown ban.

Meanwhile, Progressive Lawyers Association has warned that the ban is unlawful and will threaten citizens’ rights by weakening police accountability and preventing evidence collection, especially in cases where police commit violence against demonstrators. While rejecting the circular, it said, “There is no legal basis of such a circular. The constitution grants the rights.”

The Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey said on Twitter that journalists filming the May Day demonstrations were being blocked by police. Faik Oztrak, the spokesperson of the main opposition Republican People’s Party, expressed fears that the move “could result in increased police brutality.”

Turkey follows rule of law where judiciary is independent. Few days back Turkey’s Constitutional Court decided on 29 April that there was a violation of rights when the state denied permission for a trial of police officers involved in the injury of a protester during the Gezi Park protests and ordered trial against the police officers involved will begin eight years after the incident.

The Western governments and organizations were critical of latest circular and voiced in favour of demonstrators.