One policeman, two civilians injured in Kurdish protests in Turkey

One policeman and two civilians were injured Thursday during protests in Batman province in southeast Turkey, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

The uproar spread among Kurds to protest a decision by the electoral authorities to barring several key Kurdish politicians from running in the upcoming elections, according to the report.

The demonstrators tossed firebombs and stones at the police and police officer Hamdi Gok was wounded by gun fire, it said.

Meanwhile, fire broke out Thursday at a bank office in the eastern province of Van after demonstrators threw a Molotov cocktail at the building, said the report.

A group gathered in Van to protest the killing of 18-year-old Ibrahim Oruc by security forces during Wednesday's demonstrations in the town of Bismil. They attacked a private bank branch, hurling stones and Molotov cocktails, the report said, adding that bank employees and customers were trapped inside and were affected by smoke from the fire.

Police and firefighters rescued the people trapped in the bank and three people were hospitalized, including one pregnant woman, the report said, adding that riot police dispersed the protesters by water cannons and tear gas.

Protests broke out in several cities across Turkey after the country's Higher Board of Election (YSK) annulled late Monday the applications of 12 independent deputies running for the June 12 general elections. Seven of the 12 deputies were supported by Turkey's pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP).

The BDP-backed candidates have convictions for their connections to the outlawed Kurdish Workers Party (PKK), which took up arms for independence in the south and southeast of Turkey since 1984.

Source: Xinhua

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