PKK declares autonomous region in Turkey’s Dersim province

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has announced a democratic autonomous region in Dersim province, and established checkpoints on the main road in the province Tuesday.  

The above video released by the PKK purports to show the group’s fighters controlling the road and searching vehicles.

“We as guerrillas, under the right of self-defense for ourselves and our nation, declare democratic autonomy in Dersim,” said a fighter in the video.

In July, violence erupted once again between the PKK and the Turkish military, and both sides have announced different death tolls.

The PKK claimed Tuesday that in Hakkari its fighters killed 32 Turkish security forces and lost five of their own. The Turkish government announced only one Turkish soldier was killed and several others wounded.  

Tuesday, the Diyarbakir governor’s office announced a curfew starting from 1 am in response to the violence.

In related news, according to Turkish media Tuesday, people in a demonstration in the mainly Kurdish Dogubeyazit district declared self-management.

"We declare our self-management," said Muhsin Kula, who claimed to be part of the new government. “Our villages and cities have been turned into ruins. The latest Varto case is proof that humanity is dead.”

Varto is a town in eastern Turkey where on or around August 10 a female PKK fighter named Ekin Van was allegedly raped and killed before her naked body was dragged through the streets by Turkish security forces. The incident has outraged Kurds throughout the region.

“We will not recognize state institutions in this region. We hereby declared that we manage ourselves,” Kula said.