About 200 protesters, including affected teachers, gathered in front of the education directorate in Diyarbakir, whistling and shouting slogans, in protest of the suspensions which targeted educators mainly from the region.
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At least 30 protesters were arrested by police, according to the AFP news agency.
Suleyman Guler, the provincial head of the education union, Egitim-Sen, told Reuters the confrontation was “an attack on our unionised struggle”.
“It is not possible to accept this decision”.
“Turkey is carrying out the largest operation against Kurdish rebels in Southeastern Turkey in its history”, stated Turkish President Recep Erdogan.
About 21,000 teachers in private institutions had their licenses revoked amid a crackdown on followers of Fethullah Gulen, the cleric blamed by Erdogan for the failed July 15 coup.
“Whether it’s the struggle against the PKK or against the FETO, an important dimension of this struggle is the removal of civil servants that are extensions of these organization within the state”. Steps have been taken to clear out PKK supporters from state institutions, added Erdogan.
“The management of 28 municipalities will be removed from under the instructions of Qandil and will be transformed to the will of the sons of this nation”, he said, referring to the Qandil mountains in northern Iraq where the PKK’s senior leadership is based. It fired about 50,000 people after that failed coup.
“Do not allow the country’s resources to be turned into bullets against the security forces”.
More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
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The announcement came after Prime Minister Binali Yildirim’s remarks last Monday that all teachers having links to the PKK terrorist organization will be suspended.
