Turkish military says it has killed 5 Kurdish rebels

Kurdish rebels had stepped up attacks against the Turkish army and police after a suicide bombing in the southeastern Turkish town of Suruc killed 31 Kurdish activists.

The strikes by F-16 and F-4 jets targeted caves, houses and camps used by the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Anatolia said, citing unnamed security sources.

In particular, vehicles bearing the Turkish diplomatic flags could be set on fire before Turkey’s elections on November 1, warned the document quoted by the newspaper.

At the rally, Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu roared into the microphone as Turkish flags waved.

People rally to denounce the PKK group, which has been carrying out an armed campaign against the Turkish state.

While U.S. relations with Kurdish groups in Syria have been limitedto military support against IS, Turkey fears that this will grow into more formal relations and, ultimately, global recognition, similar to that of their brethren in the KRG.

The AKP won three decisive general election victories in 2002, 2007 and 2011 but was stripped of its overall majority in June after losing support to a pro-Kurdish party.

“Turks and Kurds are brothers, there is no difference, those who want to divide us will not succeed”.

A combative Mr Erdogan, who had been counting on the AKP winning a large majority in order to amend the constitution to boost his powers, laid into the HDP, without expressly naming it.

The PKK began its separatist insurgency in 1984, triggering a conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people.

Two days later the PKK claimed responsibility for the murder of two police officers in revenge.

Other Western powers have also hesitated in supporting the Turkish fight against PKK, as was evident from the recent North Atlantic Treaty Organisation meeting which was held at the request of Turkey and failed to yield any commitment from North Atlantic Treaty Organisation to assist Turkey fighting PKK. While the timing of the offensive against the rebels has raised eyebrows in Turkey and overseas , the PKK’s bloody response has caused widespread anger. The rebels have since refocused their demands on securing greater autonomy and cultural rights.