Thousands march in Diyarbakır, Istanbul for Kobane

DİYARBAKIR / ISTANBUL

Protesters carried posters of Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) at the Diyarbakır rally. DHA photo

Thousands of people marched Nov. 1 in Turkey’s southeastern province of Diyarbakır and Istanbul in a peaceful support rally for Kobane, the Syrian city under jihadists’ attack for more than one month. 

Dozens of people were killed last month October in a string of Kobane protests as 12 were murdered in the Oct. 6 and 7 street clashes in Diyarbakır only, making the Nov. 1 rally rather crucial. 

The government has blamed political parties for irresponsibility for making a call for such street action. 

Speaking at a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) event in the western province of Afyon today, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said the state backed the right to hold meetings but would take active measures against those who pick violence. “Do you remember any peaceful calls by the HDP [People’s Democratic Party] in the past two months,” Davutoğlu asked.

However, no violence emerged at demonstrations in Diyarbakır and Istanbul as the organizers also took measures in the southeastern province along with the police and military precautions. 

Rather smaller rallies were held in some European cities. 

The rallies came at a day when Iraqi Kurdish peshmerga fighters entered Kobane from Turkey to join the battle against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants.