JINHA

AMED – Groups based in Diyarbakır have issued universal calls for citizens of Diyarbakır to remain in their homes and refuse to enter into clashes in the wake of the armed attack last night. Meanwhile, authorities arrested three people in connection with the events.

"A dirty plot is being staged in Diyarbakır, with an aim to trigger internal fighting. Our parties must act with patience and common sense," said Selahattin Demirtaş, head of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), in a Tweet, commenting on events in which three people were killed and three wounded. Events started in the wake of the assassination of Aytaç Baran, the head of the association Yeni İHYA-DER known for its links to the extreme Islamist party Hüda-Par. The governor's office in Diyarbakır has said that three have been arrested with weapons on them and are suspected of involvement in the incident.

The attack comes less than a week after the professional, coordinated bombing of a HDP rally in Diyarbakır, in which over 400 were wounded and several lost their lives. At that time, also, many groups and especially the HDP leadership urged citizens to stay in their homes and refuse provocation.

"The state, rather than sending the police to fight directly, has started to create provocations through mercenary contraguerrilla groups," said the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), commenting on the attack and the bombing.

The Diyarbakır Bar Association said that, "we have no doubt that this is a provocative action designed to bring different segments of society into conflict with one another." Meanwhile, the group MAZLUMDER (Association for Human Rights and Solidarity for the Oppressed), known for its religiously focused human rights work, also called on the people of Diyarbakır not to engage in provocations.

(gk/cm)