Turkish soldier killed in clash with PKK: reports

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – A Turkish soldier was killed in the southeast of the country, reportedly during clashes with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

A Turkish officer affiliated with the interior ministry was injured in Nusaybin, Mardin province and died from his injuries in hospital, Numan Hatip, governor of Tokat province, said in a statement late on Friday. Mardin province is located in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast (known to Kurds as Bakur or Northern Kurdistan).

The interior and defense ministries confirmed the death of the soldier without providing details.

Several Turkish media outlets and politicians said the soldier died during clashes with the PKK. 

The PKK is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey but is considered a terrorist group by Ankara. The Turkish army often targets the group at home and abroad, especially in the Kurdistan Region.

The PKK announced a unilateral ceasefire in February after the country was hit by devastating earthquakes. It then extended the truce to the May 14 general election, but said it maintains the right to defend itself if attacked.

The number of PKK fighters inside Turkey has shrunk in recent years, following a short-lived ceasefire in 2013, though frequent clashes take place in Kurdish provinces.