The US Embassy in Ankara said on Sunday it was concerned by reports of clashes in southeastern Turkey, after a government decision to remove mayors in two dozen municipalities on suspicion of links to Kurdish militants.
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Another four are thought to be linked to Fethullah Gulen, the US-based cleric accused by the government of being behind the coup attempt.
The attacks at around 7.30 p.m. local time (1630GMT) on Saturday also destroyed three buildings being used by the group around Tal al-Hawa, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement.
The interior ministry said the 28 mayors, 12 of whom are formally under arrest, were under investigation for providing “assistance and support” to the PKK and to Gulen’s organisation.
A three-month state of emergency granted Erdogan sweeping powers, and a presidential decree stated suspects can be detained for as long as 30 days without charge, and the government can listen in on all conversations they have with their attorneys.
“Like the Gulen movement, the PKK can not possibly withstand the power of the people and the strength of the state”, he said in a video statement.
The mayors have been replaced by Ankara-appointed deputy and district governors, who took up their new posts Sunday morning.
About 200 people were dispersed by tear gas and water cannon outside the city hall in Suruc, the private Dogan news agency reported.
The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), whose regional politicians were among the chief targets of the move, denounced the removal of the mayors as a “coup”.
Last week, Turkey suspended more than 11,000 teachers over alleged links to the PKK, which Turkey, the United States and European Union consider a terrorist group, according to Anadolu, which also reported the final tally of teacher suspensions could reach 14,000.
“This unlawful and arbitrary action will only deepen existing problems in Kurdish towns and cause the Kurdish issue to be even more unsolvable”, the party said in a statement.
Security forces in Hakkari prevented HDP co-mayors Fatma Yildiz and Saban Alkan from entering the municipality building following Sunday’s assignments, which led to protests outside the municipality building.
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There were internet and phone outages in several areas across the southeast on Sunday, local residents said, although the reason was not immediately clear.
