Two Turkish police officers killed in Kurdish southeast

He died in hospital on Monday.

The PKK – considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the USA, and the European Union – resumed its armed campaign against the Turkish state in late July.

“This region (Turkey’s Kurdish areas) has suffered twice, from PKK assaults since 1985 and at the same time it has been subjected to state terror which has targeted the population for allegedly supporting the PKK”, Erdogan wrote in the report.

An anti-terrorist operation has been ongoing in the southeastern provinces of Diyarbakir, Sirnak and Mardin since mid-December, with curfews declared to fight the terrorists nested in houses abandoned by many citizens. “We must go to another region”. The Turkish army mandated curfews in several towns and cities amid clashes with the PKK.

The government says such measures are needed to flush out PKK fighters who have effectively taken over towns by erecting barricades and digging trenches. With the curfew-affected area closed to the media, it has not been possible to independently verify the figures.

But opponents say the use of force has been excessive, with civilians killed.

During the past week, Turkish tanks and artillery have pounded Kurdish targets across several southeast cities, killing at least 200 militants and more than 150 civilians, according to human rights groups and local officials.

The PKK launched a formal insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, initially fighting for Kurdish independence although it now presses more for greater autonomy and rights for the country s largest ethnic minority. The conflict has left tens of thousands dead.

The Turkish army on Friday intensified its bombardment in the Kurdish town of Cizre in Şırnak province southeast Turkey.

Responding to a question about the Russian remarks via email, Tanju Bilgic, Turkish foreign ministry spokesperson told a local journalist that for Russia to “give human rights lessons to others is just an example of black humor”, and accusing Russia of Human rights violations in Ukraine and Georgia.