Three dead and 250 injured in Diyarbakir
Güncelleme Tarihi:
A second day of rioting in the south eastern city of Diyarbakir has resulted in 3 dead and 250 injured. Kurdish youths clashed with police in what looks to be the worst violence in recent years. A group of youths hurled petrol bombs at the police, while others vandalized shops and public buildings. The governor of Diyarbakir Efkan Ala told reporters on Wednesday night that 200 people had been arrested in the riots, while youths torched a bank and burned several buildings.
The violence erupted at a funeral for four terrorists, of 14, who were killed in military operations at the weekend. The 14 terrorists were members of the terrorist group, the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Military forces from neighboring regions were called in for reinforcement by the authorities, and surrounded Diyarbakir with tanks on Wednesday. Local special forces were also called in to control the rioting. Over half the people injured in the rioting were police.
Police used tear gas and sprayed protesters with pressurized water from armored vehicles, as well as firing shots into the air in an effort to disperse the crowd.
The main Kurdish party, the Democratic Society Party (DTP), urged an end to the violence, while blaming the unrest on Ankara's failure to meet Kurdish demands for greater freedoms.
The PKK conflict has been named responsible for the lives of over 35,000 people since the beginning of the conflict in 1984.