Turkey fires Kurdish mayors ahead of military push into Syria
President Erdogan has vowed to carve out a frontier buffer zone that will be off-limits to Syrian militia thought to have links to the PKK
19 August 2019 - 19:46
Ankara — Turkey fired the elected mayors of three major Kurdish-dominated cities in the country’s southeast and detained more than 400 people in a crackdown as it prepares to push a Syrian Kurdish militia away from its border.
The mayors of Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van were removed on Monday for their alleged ties to the PKK, an autonomy-seeking Kurdish group classified as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU. Police used water cannons to disperse hundreds of Kurdish protesters outside the mayor’s office in Diyarbakir, according to footage by Arti TV...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.