Turkish Army Fighting for 10th Day in Kurdish Town, Radikal Says

Turkey’s army is using heavy weapons and helicopter gunships in a fight against members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, that’s continuing for a 10th day in a southeastern town, Radikal newspaper reported.

The fighting has forced 60 families to flee their homes in the area around Semdinli, the Istanbul-based newspaper said today in a report from the region.

Radikal earlier quoted Semdinli Mayor Sedat Tore as saying the battle had turned into a “war,” as the PKK had established positions in the town and wasn’t retreating.

The PKK, which has been fighting the Turkish state for Kurdish autonomy since 1984, is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union.

To contact the reporter on this story: Benjamin Harvey in Istanbul at bharvey11@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Gavin Serkin at gserkin@bloomberg.net