ANKARA — The United States has warned its nationals of the danger of
rising Kurdish unrest in Turkey.
The State Department has issued a warning against Americans traveling
to southeastern Turkey. The department said the Kurdish unrest -- believed
directed by the Kurdish Workers Party -- in those areas could spread to
Turkey's major cities.
"Violent clashes involving security forces and sympathizers of the PKK
terrorist organization are ongoing in the town of Diyarbakir in southeastern
Turkey and in surrounding areas including Batman, Sirnak, and Sanliurfa,"
the announcement, issued on March 31, said.
The department said Kurdish violence has not engulfed the main tourist
areas of Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir. But it did not rule out such a
prospect.
"The unrest has the potential to spread to these regions as well," the
department said.
On Monday, at least three people were killed in a bombing of a bus
station in Istanbul. It was the second attack in the coastal city, a major
tourist spot, since the Kurdish riots erupted in Diyarbakir on March 28.
The State Department said Diyarbakir, near the Iraqi border, remains the
focal point of Kurdish unrest. The announcement said roads to the airport as
well as schools and businesses have been closed.
Americans were warned to avoid areas of Turkey where demonstrations were
held or large crowds usually gather. The department said even peaceful
demonstrations could "turn confrontational and possibly escalate into
violence."
Officials said most of the Kurdish unrest included youngsters.
They said in many cases the youngsters were directed to throw stones, sticks
and firebombs toward security forces.
''Most of the illegal demonstrators are young people and children,'' a
statement by the Hakkari Governorate said on April 2.
