Several Turkey cities affected by wave of protests, shootings

A wave of protests broke out in several cities of Turkey, and it was accompanied by shootings and burning of tires on the streets, Shot Telegram channel reports.

Mass demonstrations broke out in at least six major cities after the Van provincial election commission's decision to disqualify pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) candidate Abdullah Zeydan from the election. He had won, but the respective mandate was given to the candidate of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

Due to the tension, local authorities have banned mass gatherings from April 3 to April 17. Social media platforms and media close to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are calling residents to go out into the streets.

Dozens of people clashed with the police, shot machine guns in the streets, set fire to tires, and threw Molotov cocktails at the law enforcement officers. In response, the security forces used tear gas, beat the demonstrators with truncheons, and arrested them.

Local government elections were held in Turkey on March 31. The country's ruling AKP party lost to the opposition in local elections for the first time in the last 20 years. The main opposition, the Republican People's Party (CHP), was the leader and received the majority of votes in the “battle” for the positions of mayors of large cities.