ANKARA, June 11: The funerals for three soldiers killed in a roadside bomb attack by Kurdish rebels turned into anti-government protests on Monday as thousands of mourners called on the government to resign.
Many Turks are becoming increasingly frustrated with the mounting military death toll from attacks by Kurdish rebels, some of whom are believed to be launching incursions from across the border in northern Iraq.
The three soldiers, a lieutenant colonel, a major and a private, were killed on Saturday in an attack in the south-eastern province of Sirnak and were buried in separate funerals in Istanbul, Ankara and Manisa.
Thousands attended the ceremonies, carrying Turkish flags, shouting anti-government slogans and booing ministers and other government officials who were present.
The guerrillas have recently stepped up attacks and many in the country are growing frustrated with the government’s perceived inability to convince the United States and Iraqi Kurds to crackdown on the rebels in Iraq. The United States is reluctant to engage in a conflict against the rebels in northern Iraq, one of that country’s most stable areas.
Guerrillas of the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, have killed at least two dozen soldiers or pro-government village guards in several attacks since May 24, according to an Associated Press count. More than a dozen soldiers have also been wounded since then. The latest was a soldier killed in fighting late on Sunday in the province of Erzincan.
Turkish troops have killed 25 guerrillas during the same period, according to a count by the military, which has launched several offensives inside Turkey and has massed troops along the border with Iraq. The military last week also established “temporary security zones” in several areas close to the border with Iraq amid increasing activity there.—AP
