
A leading Kurdish lawyer was shot dead Saturday in southeast Turkey after unknown attackers opened fire on a gathering in the mainly Kurdish province of Diyarbakir, triggering a shootout with police, hospital sources and witnesses said.
According to witnesses, unknown assailants opened fire on Elci and 40 other activists as they were giving a press statement near a mosque in Diyarbakir's Sur district.
The police immediately returned fire, they said.
Tahir Elci, head of the bar in Diyarbakir who had been detained in October for alleged "terrorist propaganda", died of gunshot wounds to the head, hospital sources told AFP.
Three policemen and an unknown number of journalists were wounded in the clashes, the witnesses said.
A hunt for the attackers was underway.
Turkey's southeast has been hit by the worst violence in years after a two-year old ceasefire between the Turkish government and the PKK militants collapsed in July.
Elci was released pending his trial over an interview in which he said the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has killed dozens of Turkish soldiers since the resumption of hostilities, was not a terrorist organisation.
He had risked up to seven years in prison.
Source: AFP
GMT 18:06 2018 Tuesday ,09 January
10 migrants dead, dozens missing off Libya coastGMT 22:05 2018 Wednesday ,03 January
US says airstrike kills 2 militants in SomaliaGMT 18:56 2018 Wednesday ,03 January
Philippines prohibits US firm call center from expanding after deadly fireGMT 17:03 2018 Wednesday ,03 January
Severe storm batters western Europe; 1 dead, 15 injuredGMT 16:32 2018 Wednesday ,03 January
Palestinian shot dead in West Bank clashes with Israeli army: ministryGMT 11:49 2018 Wednesday ,03 January
Russian helicopter crashes in Syria, two dead: MoscowGMT 17:22 2017 Thursday ,28 December
10 hurt in Saint Petersburg supermarket bombingGMT 17:49 2017 Wednesday ,27 December
Blast in Saint Petersburg injures four, say officials
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2025 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor