{Tahir Elci was killed after clashes between rebels and security forces broke out in a southeastern city.}
A prominent pro-Kurdish lawyer was shot dead on Saturday in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeastern city of Diyarbakir.
Tahir Elci, the chairman of the Diyarbakir Bar Association, was caught in the crossfire between Kurdish rebels and security forces while making a press statement in Diyarbakir, Turkish media reported.
Elci, a highly influential figure with Kurds in Turkey, died after he was hospitalised, state broadcaster TRT said.
In an address in the western city of Balikesir, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed the death of Elci. He also said one policeman was shot dead in the firefight.
“This incident shows how Turkey is right in its determination in the fight against terrorism,” Erdogan said.
Three policemen and an unknown number of journalists were wounded in the clashes, witnesses said.
The Diyarbakir governor’s office declared a curfew in the area after the incident.
Turkish authorities arrested Elci in October for saying the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) was not a terrorist organisation. However, he was released pending trial shortly thereafter.
SOURCE:ALJAZEERA:[Prominent pro-Kurdish lawyer shot dead in Turkey->http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/prominent-pro-kurdish-lawyer-shot-dead-turkey-151128103206863.html]
Leave a Reply