ANKARA — Turkey's military has been ordered to quell the worst
Kurdish unrest in nearly 30 years.
The Turkish Army has deployed main battle tanks and armored personnel
carriers in the southwestern city of Diyarbakir, Middle East Newsline reported. With its huge Kurdish population, Diyarbakir is known a launching pad for attacks by the
Kurdish Workers Party.
Over the last three days, Kurdish separatists clashed with Turkish
security forces in violence that spread throughout southeastern Turkey. At
least four people have been killed and 250 others injured in riots sparked
by the killing of 14 PKK members in battles with Turkish soldiers.
"This violence damages the image of Diyarbakir, which had been steadily
improving," Diyarbakir Gov. Efkan Ala said. "It will delay the flow of
investment here that would curb unemployment."
Officials said police summoned the army to deploy in Diyarbakir to avoid
the use of live fire toward the protesters, armed with firebombs. Two police
vehicles have already been torched.
"The security forces prevented more deaths from occurring through their
responsible attitude," Ala told a news conference on March 29.
The unrest, regarded by Ala as the worst since the late 1970s, spread
from Diyarbakir to the southern cities of Adana and Batman. Scores of people
were injured in Adana and Batman on March 29 and Thursday.
Unrest was also reported in Sirt, about 200 kilometers east of
Diyarbakir. Officials said the PKK instigated the riots.
The Kurdish riots have taken place amid a military operation against the
PKK along the Turkish-Iraqi border. Officials said about 3,000 PKK
operatives have crossed into Turkey from Iraq's Kandil mountains since 2003.
"Our people should feel at peace," Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan,
blamed for encouraging Kurdish irredentism, said. "They will be safe.
Security forces will do what is necessary.">
