|
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, May 18 (Reuters) - A Turkish
soldier was killed on Wednesday by Kurdish rebels in
southeastern Turkey, the latest victim of escalating
violence in the region, officials said.
Violence in Turkey's poor southeast has risen since
the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a
separatist campaign since 1984, called off a
ceasefire last year.
Four Kurdish rebels and four Turkish soldiers were
killed on Tuesday. In the latest incident, one
gendarme was killed in Diyarbakir's Silvan district
in an attack by PKK militants.
The PKK had sought an independent state in the
mainly Kurdish southeast, but scaled back its
demands to winning cultural rights for the estimated
12 million Kurds in Turkey, a candidate for European
Union membership.
The government rejects any talks with the rebel
group.
The military warned the PKK could step up attacks
after a large number of guerrillas were detected
smuggling explosives into Turkey from their
stronghold in northern Iraq.
Observers have said tensions between Turks and Kurds
may intensify after the European Court of Human
Rights ruled last week Turkey did not provide jailed
PKK commander Abdullah Ocalan with a fair trial in
1999. Turkey may now have to retry Ocalan.
Reuters
Top |
® 