Political tremors in Turkey precede election

Political tensions in Turkey continue to climb ahead of a parliamentary election planned for less than one month away.

A violent demonstration in the southeastern province of Diyarbakir, whose population is predominantly Kurdish, erupted on Monday after security forces killed at least 12 Kurdish militants crossing into an insurgency-prone part of Turkey from Iraq.

The Kurdistan Workers Party, PKK, considered a terrorist group by the EU and the US, ended a cease-fire in February. However, voices in the Peace and Democracy Party, unofficially associated with the PKK, have blamed the government for the escalation in violence.

The Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reports that more than 2,500 people have been “taken into custody over the past 50 days.”

The balance of members in the new parliament is seen as having an influence on how Turkey’s constitution might be rewritten, which could have a strong effect on long-standing Kurdish conflicts.

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