Police accused the Kurdish PKK of the attack, which was staged a day after the Erdogan government stripped 24 Kurdish mayors of their offices, four of them in Van province.
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Kurdish militants have claimed responsibility for a vehicle bombing in Turkey’s southeastern city of Van saying it was in response to the removal from office of two dozen mayors from Kurdish-run municipalities.
Van Governor Ibrahim Tasyapan told state-run Anadolu news agency that 46 civilians and four police officers were wounded in the Monday attack at a police point in front of the ruling party municipal headquarters.
Atalay pointed the finger of blame at the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) that is listed as a terror group by Turkey and its Western allies.
Photos from the scene show emergency services trying to extinguish the flames.
There were no deaths in the attack, which the security sources blamed on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a militant group that has carried out auto bomb attacks in the southeast and the capital Ankara this year.
The attack took place near the city’s central Beşyol Square between the Van Governorate and the ruling Justice and Development Party’s (AK Party) provincial chairmanship.
Security sources have blamed the PKK for the attack but there has been no immediate claim of responsibility.
The Turkish military has also been pounding Kurdish militant positions in northern Iraq and Syria as well.
Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party, the country’s main opposition party and the United States all have criticised the move.
The PKK is listed as a extremist organization by the U.S., European Union and Turkey. This news story is related to Latest/149798-Several-hurt-as-blast-hits-eastern-Turkish-city-of-Van/ – breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne.
Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told Anadolu agency that security forces had taken precautions to prevent violent attacks during the nine-day Eid al-Adha festival.
Being elected a mayor does not mean you can do anything you want.
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“As Turkish authorities investigate allegations that some local officials have participated in or provided material support to terrorist groups, we note the importance of respect for judicial due process and individual rights, including the right of peaceful political expression, as enshrined in the Turkish Constitution”, it said.
