PKK threatens to attack dams, one killed in fresh clashes in Turkey’s northeast
ANKARA
DHA Photo
The outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has threatened to attack dam construction sites in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish southeast provinces on the grounds that Ankara has violated a cease-fire by building army posts, while one person died and two were wounded in fresh clashes in the northeastern province of Ardahan.
The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), a supra organization of Kurdish groups that includes the PKK, issued a statement on July 11, saying Turkey’s construction of military outposts, dams and roads for military purposes had violated the cease-fire, which had aimed at bringing an end to the three-decade-long conflict in the country, Reuters reported.
“The Turkish state took advantage of the cease-fire conditions not for a democratic political resolution but to gain an advantageous position in preparation for war by building dozens of guard posts, roads for military purposes and dams in order for a cultural genocide,” the statement said.
“The Kurdish movement has decided not to accept this treatment any more, and to mobilize all means necessary, including the guerrilla forces, to stop the construction of all dams,” it said.
Meanwhile, a man, identified as Kanber Morkoç, 65, died in clashes between the PKK and the Turkish army in Ardahan’s Göle district early July 12, and two others, Sabri Morkoç and Altan Akın, were wounded, Doğan News Agency reported.
The Ardahan Governor’s Office said in a statement that members of the PKK had stopped a group of municipal officials in the province’s Göle district on July 9, who were there to fix the water outage, and prevented them from doing their job by holding the officials’ vehicle.
Authorities accused the PKK of opening fire early on July 12 on gendarmerie forces that wanted to conduct an investigation on the officials’ vehicle, which was found to be burnt.
“Members of the terror organization opened fire on the gendarmerie forces, a civilian vehicle ... became the target of the fire, and two people out of four total have been wounded, while one of our citizens has passed away despite all medical efforts,” read the statement, adding that it was not yet clear how the vehicle ended up at the site.
Meanwhile, four people have been detained in the northeastern province of Ağrı in an operation launched against the PKK, while a large amount of ammunition has also been seized, the Ağrı governorate said in a written statement on July 12.
The governorate had stated a day before, on July 11, that PKK members had set three loaded lorries on fire in the province’s Doğubeyazıt district, while also bringing a group of locals to the road to use them as human shields against attacks from the Turkish armed forces, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), a supra organization of Kurdish groups that includes the PKK, issued a statement on July 11, saying Turkey’s construction of military outposts, dams and roads for military purposes had violated the cease-fire, which had aimed at bringing an end to the three-decade-long conflict in the country, Reuters reported.
“The Turkish state took advantage of the cease-fire conditions not for a democratic political resolution but to gain an advantageous position in preparation for war by building dozens of guard posts, roads for military purposes and dams in order for a cultural genocide,” the statement said.
“The Kurdish movement has decided not to accept this treatment any more, and to mobilize all means necessary, including the guerrilla forces, to stop the construction of all dams,” it said.
Meanwhile, a man, identified as Kanber Morkoç, 65, died in clashes between the PKK and the Turkish army in Ardahan’s Göle district early July 12, and two others, Sabri Morkoç and Altan Akın, were wounded, Doğan News Agency reported.
The Ardahan Governor’s Office said in a statement that members of the PKK had stopped a group of municipal officials in the province’s Göle district on July 9, who were there to fix the water outage, and prevented them from doing their job by holding the officials’ vehicle.
Authorities accused the PKK of opening fire early on July 12 on gendarmerie forces that wanted to conduct an investigation on the officials’ vehicle, which was found to be burnt.
“Members of the terror organization opened fire on the gendarmerie forces, a civilian vehicle ... became the target of the fire, and two people out of four total have been wounded, while one of our citizens has passed away despite all medical efforts,” read the statement, adding that it was not yet clear how the vehicle ended up at the site.
Meanwhile, four people have been detained in the northeastern province of Ağrı in an operation launched against the PKK, while a large amount of ammunition has also been seized, the Ağrı governorate said in a written statement on July 12.
The governorate had stated a day before, on July 11, that PKK members had set three loaded lorries on fire in the province’s Doğubeyazıt district, while also bringing a group of locals to the road to use them as human shields against attacks from the Turkish armed forces, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
