Turkey: 31 Killed, 360 Wounded in Kurdish Protests

Over 1,000 Detained Over Past Four Days

Kurdish protesters pushing for a military intervention against ISIS in the Syrian border town of Kobani have continued across Turkey’s southeast, with the Interior Ministry issuing a statement today reporting at least 31 killed and 360 wounded.

Interior Minister Efkan Ala, who previously accused the Kurds of betraying Turkey for protesting, urged the demonstrators to end violence and “stand in solidarity” with the ruling party.

Protests took place in at least 35 different cities across the region, and Ala reported over 1,000 people were detained in connection with them. Only 58 have been formally arrested so far.

The leadership of the PKK has warned that if Kobani falls it will mean an end to peace process between the Kurds and the Turkish government. The town has virtually fallen now, with most of the population fleeing into Turkey as refugees.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.