Diyarbakir, Turkey--Turkish authorities have detained 17 people over clashes between rival Kurdish groups that left four people dead and inflamed tensions in Turkey's main Kurdish city days after legislative elections, officials said Wednesday.
The violence broke out in Diyarbakir on Tuesday when Aytac Baran, the leader of a charity linked to the Kurdish Islamist political party Huda Par, was shot dead, prompting a gunfight that left three more people dead and 11 injured.
Baran's supporters have accused backers of the People's Democratic Party (HDP) of being behind the attack but the claim has been vehemently denied.
The Diyarbakir governor's office said in a statement that 17 suspects were detained over the violence.
At least three journalists who were covering the clashes were injured.
The governor's office said police had seized scores of weapons, Kalashnikovs and bullets in raids on 27 addresses in Diyarbakir.
HDP leader Selahattin Demirtas accused the government and President Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday of seeking to undermine his party's strong showing in Sunday's election by keeping silent over the unrest.
AFP
