TURKEY: Thirteen Turkish soldiers killed and seven Kurdish fighters dead in clashes in south-eastern Diyarbakir province

Record ID: 352779

  • Title: TURKEY: Thirteen Turkish soldiers killed and seven Kurdish fighters dead in clashes in south-eastern Diyarbakir province
  • Date: 15th July 2011
  • Summary: DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY (JULY 14, 2011) (REUTERS) POLICE CHECKPOINT AT DISTRICT NEARBY CLASH SCENE POLICEMAN SEARCHING A MAN POLICEMEN SEARCHING CARS MAN PASSING THROUGH CHECKPOINT VARIOUS OF CHECKPOINT VARIOUS OF AN ARMY HELICOPTER FLYING HELICOPTER LANDING CAR LEADING TO VILLAGE WHERE THE CLASH TOOK PLACE VIEW OF THE VILLAGE ANKARA, TURKEY (JULY 14, 2011) (REUTERS) TURKISH PRIME MINISTER TAYYIP ERDOGAN LEAVING SECURITY MEETING TURKISH CHIEF OF STAFF ISIK KOSANER LEAVING SECURITY MEETING DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY (JULY 14, 2011) (REUTERS) VIEW OF DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY CONGRESS DELEGATES AT CONGRESS SOUNDBITE (Turkish) CO-CHAIRWOMAN OF DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S CONGRESS, AYSEL TUGLUK, SAYING: "We are declaring our democratic autonomy in the light of the rights described in international human rights documents on the basis of common a homeland, a democratic national principles and territorial integrity, remaining loyal to the national unity of all frames of people in Turkey." VIEW OF CONGRESS
  • Embargoed: 30th July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey, Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Conflict,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2XYU47UFBFTYJW2IBDVCQY1WY
  • Story Text: Kurdish fighters killed 13 Turkish soldiers in an ambush on Thursday (July 14) and seven militants died in the firefight that marked the worst clash since the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) ended a ceasefire in February.
    Grenades thrown by the militants ignited a fire in the heavily forested area where the clash occurred and the troops perished in the blaze, according to a statement released by the chief of staff.
    At least seven soldiers were wounded in the attack, two of them seriously.
    Immediately following the attack Erdogan met with the army and intelligence chiefs as well as the interior minister and head of the paramilitary gendarmerie in Ankara.
    Security forces, backed by warplanes, launched a hunt for the rebel fighters in the mountains of Diyarbakir province, and the military chief of land forces had gone to the area.
    The PKK moved to what it calls an "active defence" stance, whereby its fighters defend themselves if threatened, after ending its 6-month-old ceasefire.
    Last week the jailed leader of the PKK, Abdullah Ocalan sent word through his lawyers that he had agreed with Turkish officials to set up a "peace council" aimed at ending the 27-year-old separatist conflict.
    Ocalan said the council should be formed within one month, though it was unclear what form it would take.
    The proposal came a month after Erdogan's AK Party won an election for a third term in power and two months after Ocalan threatened "war" unless the government entered talks.
    Deputies from a pro-Kurdish party, regarded as close the PKK, failed to reach a deal with the AK Party on ending their boycott of parliament, representatives of the two sides told reporters after a second day of talks on Thursday.
    The boycott by the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) deputies was prompted by court rulings barring some of its jailed elected candidates from taking their seats.
    In Diyarbakir on Thursday, the Democratic People's Congress, which bands together Kurdish non-government organisations, met and declared 'democratic autonomy', though it was unclear what action that might entail.
    "We are declaring our democratic autonomy in the light of the rights described in international human rights documents on the basis of common a homeland, a democratic national principles and territorial integrity, remaining loyal to the national unity of all frames of people in Turkey," Co-chairwoman of Democratic People's Congress Aysel Tugluk said.
    More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict, though violence faded after Ocalan was captured in 1999.
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