Articles About Terrorist Activities

Conflict erupted in the eastern province of Iğdır between pro-Kurdish demonstrators and police on Monday. Shops mostly belonging to ethnic Azeris were stoned during clashes, news wires reported.

The pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party, or BDP, held a press conference Monday in Iğdır to protest the arrests of BDP mayors in the region, including Iğdır’s mayor, Mehmet Nuri Güneş, and the closure of the Democratic Society Party, or DTP.

The conference was also attended by Pervin Buldan, Iğdır’s deputy for the BDP.

Police launched operations in December on allegations that some BDP party members were members of the civilian organization of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK. Following the police raids, a number of prominent politicians were detained and arrested.

After the press conference, some demonstrators threw stones at police, with clashes resulting. Later, Buldan spoke with police and called for the crowed to disperse.

Some crowd members, however, threw stones at Buldan as well, forcing the deputy to take refuge in a nearby shop, according to the Anatolia news agency.

Police later took 53 demonstrators into custody.

The clashes also resulted in some ethnic tension. Demonstrators attacked shops belonging to ethnic Azeris, provoking retaliation from Turkish nationalist groups, the Doğan news agency reported.

Source:Hurriyet Daily News
URL: www.hurriyetdailynews.com/n.php?n=more-than-50-under-custody-in-tension-in-igdir-2010-01-26