A prominent pro-Kurdish lawyer was shot dead on
Saturday in Turkey's predominantly Kurdish southeastern
city of Diyarbakir.
Tahir Elci, the chairman of the Diyarbakir Bar Association,
was caught in the crossfire between Kurdish rebels and
security forces while making a press statement in
Diyarbakir, Turkish media reported.
Elci, a highly influential figure with Kurds in Turkey, died
after he was hospitalised, state broadcaster TRT said.
In an address in the western city of Balikesir, Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan confirmed the death of
Elci. He also said one policeman was shot dead in the
firefight.
"This incident shows how Turkey is right in its
determination in the fight against terrorism," Erdogan said.
Three policemen and an unknown number of journalists
were wounded in the clashes, witnesses said.
The Diyarbakir governor's office declared a curfew in the
area after the incident.
Turkish authorities arrested Elci in October for saying the
outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was not a
terrorist organisation. However, he was released pending
trial shortly thereafter.
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