Police fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse the crowd.
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The crackdown has coincided with a purge of journalists, politicians, government workers, soldiers, teachers and others after a failed coup attempt in July. Turkey has been negotiating with the United States on his extradition.
“The Turkish Armed Forces and the International Coalition Air Forces have launched a military operation aimed at clearing the district of Jarablus of the province of Aleppo from the terrorist organisation Daesh”, it added, using an Arabic acronym for IS group. “Being an elected official isn’t a licence to commit crimes”. The interior ministry said 12 of the mayors suspended are already under arrest.
The U.S. embassy said on Sunday that while it supported Turkey’s right to combat terrorism, it hoped the appointment of government administrators would be temporary and that local citizens could soon choose new representatives.
Various Turkish political parties, including the People’s Democratic Party and the Republican People’s Party, have voiced their opposition to the mayors’ removal.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, which came on the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid Al-Adha. “Just like Feto, the PKK stands no chance against our sagacious people and the power of our state”.
The mayors of the cities of Batman and Hakkari in the southeast have also been replaced. Co-mayor Fatma Yildiz, who was replaced Sunday morning, said the decision was “a blow against the will of the people”, Dogan reported.
Several Turkish soldiers have been killed by IS rocket attacks in northern Syria this month, and Turkey blamed the death of another soldier last month on an attack by Kurdish militiamen.
“He said if the state is ready for the projects, we can implement them in six months”.
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European Union’s foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who visited Ankara on Friday (16 September) for talks with Turkish leaders, said she expected steps would be taken in compliance with rule of law. “If the state points to that, this problem won’t continue for too long, it will be resolved”, he said.
