ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The Kurdish city of Diyarbakir (Amed) in southeastern Turkey has banned rallies for four days to prevent “violent incidents” amid heightened tensions between Kurdish-led and Damascus-linked forces in Syria, the governor’s office said on Thursday.

Since January, the Syrian Arab Army has waged a violent campaign on areas held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), with Damascus-linked factions rapidly advancing toward Rojava territory amid reports of grave human rights violations despite several fragile ceasefires being agreed.

The attacks by Damascus-affiliated forces have sparked outrage among Kurdish communities across Greater Kurdistan, including in Turkey, with pro-Kurdish groups holding demonstrations and marching to the border with Syria. 

“In order to preserve public security throughout our province, meetings, protest marches, and press statements, as well as installing tents, posters, and banners, are prohibited for a period of four days,” the Diyarbakir governor’s office said in a statement.

During protests against the ongoing attacks on Rojava (northeast Syria) in the Turkish border town of Nusaybin, a man was recorded taking down the Turkish flag at the border crossing, drawing widespread criticism from Turkish authorities. 

Devlet Bahceli, leader of the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), said that he holds the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) “primarily responsible for the lowering of the Turkish flag” in a Wednesday speech to the Turkish parliament.

The protest at Nusaybin was called for by the DEM Party, with hundreds of demonstrators marching towards the border post attempting to cross into Rojava, leading to a confrontation with the security forces.

On Tuesday, a four-day ceasefire was put into effect in Syria, but attacks by Damascus-affiliated factions continue regardless.