ISTANBUL: Pro-Kurdish demonstrators angered by Turkey’s lack of action in the fight against jihadists on the Syrian border clashed with police across the country yesterday, leading to at least one death and a score of injuries.
One young pro-Kurdish protester was killed in the southeastern city of Mus while police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse angry protests in Istanbul.
The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government has so far not intervened militarily against Islamic State (IS) jihadists fighting for the Kurdish border town of Kobane, to the fury of Turkey’s Kurds.
Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish party, the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), late Monday called for street protests “against IS attacks and the AKP’s stance on Kobane”.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has vowed that Turkey will do whatever necessary to prevent the fall of Kobane.
But Kurds bitterly accuse Ankara of merely looking on as the town risks being overrun by jihadists despite dozens of Turkish tanks being deployed on the border.
There were conflicting reports about how the 25-year-old protester was killed in the clashes in the city of Mus, with the Hurriyet newspaper saying he died of a gunshot wound after being caught in crossfire. But NTV television said he was killed after being struck in the head by a tear gas canister fired by police to disperse the protesters.
AFP
