Kurds clash with Turkish police for 4th day; 2 dead

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Hundreds of Kurdish protesters lobbed stones at police and soldiers in southeastern Turkey for a fourth straight day of clashes that have killed two people and injured dozens. In Istanbul, tens of thousands of Kurds celebrated the Nowruz festival, some using the spring festivities to rally for Kurdish autonomy. In Yuksekova, in Hakkari province, police broke up a crowd of protesters throwing stones at officers Sunday by firing into the air and using tear gas and truncheons, the private Dogan news agency said. The military also deployed commando units in the streets of Yuksekova and police armored carriers blocked some roads, Dogan said. Later Sunday, a small bomb explosion slightly injured three police officers, Dogan said. A Kurdish demonstrator was shot to death Sunday and a police officer was injured, hospital officials said. Almost all shops were closed and residents fled to their homes, Dogan said.