Kemal Kilicdaroglu was travelling along a road near the city of Artvin on Thursday when his convoy came under the attack from the woods.
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Kilicdaroglu was left unharmed in the attack, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said, clarifying that the separatists opened fire at the Gendarmerie escort vehicle.
Officials in his secularist Republican People’s Party (CHP), writing on Twitter, also said their leader’s convoy had been targetted in the attack.
He said the attack was carried out by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and an operation had been begun against them in the area. Interior Minister Efkan Ala said in televised comments.
Kemal Kilicdaroglu was kept in his vehicle for security while police and the assailants engaged in an armed clash.
Kilicdaroglu escaped injury but a soldier was killed and two others wounded.
He could not confirm reports that a rocket launcher was found at the assailants’ position.
Mr Erdogan and Mr Kilicdaroglu have had tense relations, but Turkey’s political leaders have recently been displaying unity since the failed July 15 coup attempt.
“The attack on Kilicdaroglu’s convoy in Artvin is a vile terrorist attack targeting democratic stability and peace of the people”, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said in a written statement, without naming any group behind the attackers.
They appeared jointly at a recent pro-democracy rally and Mr Kilicdaroglu even agreed to meet Mr Erdogan at his controversial new palace in Ankara, breaking his previous boycott of the large complex.
It is proscribed as a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.
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