Tension Runs High In Eastern Turkey Over Removal Of PKK Militant Statue

Following the removal of a statue of a terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant on Tuesday in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, PKK supporters have been in a clash with the security forces in Muş province for three days.

In a protest to removal of the statue, a large group of people closed Varto-Karlıova highway on Wednesday. Special operations units and gendarmerie intervened in the incident to open the road on the same day.

Since then, PKK supporters and security forces have been engaged in a clash. Thirty trucks trying to pass on the road were damaged during the clash. The group set two vehicles and an oil truck on fire on Friday. When the protests spread to Varto district, three civilians, who were caught on the clash, were injured and taken to the hospital.

Korkmaz, who was killed in 1986 during a clash with Turkish security forces, was recently buried at the graveyard in Yolçatı. The PKK launched its first attack against Turkish military posts in the country's Southeast on Aug. 15, 1984.




SHOT LIST
Friday, August 22 2014, SOURCE: CIHAN
Fire
Fire brigade
PKK supporters
Police
Closed road
Clash
Burning truck
Duration: 05:37