Hundreds of people leave conflict-ridden area in southeast Turkey

Hundreds of people have escaped their homes in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir, which has been the scene of deadly clashes between the army and militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

According to Press TV, residents of the conflict-hit district of Sur in the city fled the area on Wednesday after a week-old curfew in the district’s western parts was lifted.

According to witnesses, people deserted Sur with their belongings loaded onto trucks and handcarts. Sur has suffered heavy damage in the clashes since a curfew was declared there a month ago.

"It's always the ordinary people who suffer," said Mehmet Ceylan while leaving the area, adding, "I've lived in Sur for years, and I've never witnessed a scene like this."

The development comes as the eastern side of Sur has remained under a round-the-clock curfew.

Ankara says the curfews in the Kurdish-majority southeast are needed to allow security forces remove barricades, explosive devices and ditches set up by PKK militants.

Turkey has been engaged in a large-scale campaign against the PKK in its southern border region in the past few months. The Turkish military has also been conducting offensives against the positions of the group in northern Iraq. The PKK is an outlawed group that has been fighting for an autonomous Kurdish region inside Turkey since 1980s.

ME