Curfew declared in Turkey’s east over clashes with PKK militants

MUŞ - Anadolu Agency

DHA photo

A curfew has been declared in the Varto district of eastern Muş province over clashes with outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants, while five security personnel were killed in attacks over the weekend.

Muş Governor Vedat Büyükersoy said the governorate had declared a curfew starting from 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 16 until further notice in order to provide security, Anadolu Agency reported.

Büyükersoy added PKK militants were present in Varto and operations against the militants were continuing. 
Early on Aug. 16, PKK militants raided a worksite in the district and demolished a bridge at an entrance to the district with bulldozers they had seized.

In the eastern province of Kars, one soldier was killed Aug. 16 in armed clashes between the local gendarmerie and suspected PKK militants.

The clashes erupted during a gendarmerie special team operation in Kars’ Kağızman district. Gendarmerie CSM Nurettin Öztürk succumbed to his injuries in hospital. Another wounded soldier was reported to be in a good condition.

Three suspected PKK militants were killed in the clash and their weapons were seized. An air-supported security operation started in the area.

The clashes came one day after three soldiers and a police officer were killed in attacks by the PKK in eastern Turkey.

The three soldiers were killed when an explosive device laid by PKK militants on a road in the Karlıova district of eastern Bingöl province was detonated on Aug. 15, the Turkish Army said in a statement. “Three of our soldiers were martyred and six wounded,” the army said. 

An official ceremony was held in Bingöl for three fallen soldiers identified as Gendarmerie NCO Muhammed Gürlek, Specialized Sgt. Haşim Dirik and Specialized Sgt. Musa Saydam.

The body of Gürlek was set to be laid to rest in the western province of Osmaniye, while Dirik’s body was sent to the Aegean province of Manisa for his funeral. Saydam’s body was sent to the western province of Kırıkkale, where he would be laid to rest. 

Later on Aug. 15 a police commissar died after coming under attack by PKK militants as security forces were sealing trenches dug by the rebels in the Şemdinli district of the southeastern Hakkari province, Doğan News Agency reported.

Police Commissar Ahmet Çamur, 46, was brought to the Black Sea province of Trabzon for his funeral and burial after an official military ceremony was held in the southeastern province of Van.