Thousands in Van province have gathered for a march in protest at the isolation of Kurdish people's leader Abdullah Öcalan and the state terror in the Kurdish region.

Masses gathered at the central Feqiyê Teyran Park from which the march was set to begin at 12:00 today noon under the slogan “Mr. Öcalan's freedom is the freedom of Kurdish people and all oppressed peoples”.

Police staged a crackdown on demonstrators soon after the beginning of the march to Beşyol Square led by DBP, HDP and TUYAD-DER.

HDP Van deputies Nadir Yıldırım and Bedia Özgökçe Ertan, HDP Van branch co-chairs Derya Hayva and Veysi Dilekçi, DBP Van branch co-chairs Caziye Duman and Münir Aras, Van Metropolitan Municipality co-mayors Hatice Çoban and Bekir Kaya, executives of DBP-HDP provincial and district branches, Peace Mothers, NGO representatives are among the thousands that are joining the demo against Turkish state atrocity on Kurdish people.

Attacking the mass with tear gas, high pressure water and blast bombs, police detained dozens of people and dragged peace mothers on the ground, while youths responded to the police as they attacked mothers.

Policemen in the area also seized the cameras of reporters and deleted footage recorded at the scene. While black Range Rover cars carrying snipers are also patrolling on the streets, clashes are spreading in the city in the wake of the police crackdown.

Gürpınar Municipal Council member Bahattin Yavuz and two civilians were injured and rushed to hospital after being hit by a tear gas canister fired by police.