Turkish protesters condemn curfew in southeast
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People disperse as Turkish police fire tear gas in Diyarbakir on February 27, 2016 during a demonstration against a government-imposed curfew on areas of eastern Turkey. ©AFP
Thousands of demonstrators protested on Saturday against a three-month military crackdown as well as a strict curfew in southeastern Turkey.
The protesters gathered in the Kosuyolu Park of the mainly Kurdish city of Diyarbakir to call for an end to the curfew, which has been in place in the central Sur District since December 2, 2015.
Authorities say the curfew is in place to help them root out militants of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) operating in the area. However, activists argue that clashes have led to the death of civilians and inflicted major damage to the district’s historic mosques and other buildings.
The demonstrators on Saturday also called for a 24-hour break in the curfew to rescue those still trapped in Sur.
The gathering, which was peaceful at first, turned violent when participants spread in different directions after hearing speeches from Kurdish leaders. Police fired water cannon and tear gas canisters to disperse the protesters.
Some demonstrators clashed with security forces by throwing stones and noise bombs. Police arrested at least 10 people.
Meanwhile, one person suffered serious injuries by gunfire in the clashes.
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