Thousands of people took to the streets yesterday in all provinces of North Kurdistan to mark the 14th anniversary of the capture of Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), on 15 February 1999.

Clashes erupted in many places as police severely attacked demonstrators soon after the beginning of demos and marches they staged. More than 60 people were taken into custody yesterday as a result of police attacks on demonstrations and house raids in many places. Police detained 15 people in Şırnak's Cizre district, 8 in Silopi, 3 in İdil, 10 in Mardin's Kızıltepe district, 3 in Nusaybin, 10 in Van, 6 in Urfa's Viranşehir district, 2 in Hatay and 5 in Istanbul.

A torch march was staged in the capital city Ankara under the leadership of Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Ankara provincial organization. During the march which was also joined by BDP provincial co-chairs,  TUHAD-FED Ankara Representative, BDP executives and Party Council members, demonstrators carried the photographs of three Kurdish women assassinated in Paris on 9 January, Sakine Cansız, a co-founder of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), Fidan Doğan, representative of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) in Paris, and Leyla Şaylemez, member of the Kurdish youth movement. In a press conference after the march, BDP Ankara co-chair Ahmet Aday condemned the international conspiracy against the Kurdish leader.

Severe clashes erupted between demonstrators and police in Cizre where police forces with armored vehicles were mobilized to disperse thousands of young people who closed ways to traffic and opened flags of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) and KCK (Kurdish Communities Union). Two young people, a nine-years old child and 20 years-old woman was wounded with the gas bombs thrown by police.

Young people in the village of Roboski, where Turkish warplanes killed 34 Kurdish civilians on 28 December 2011, also took to the streets yesterday in protest against the international conspiracy against the Kurdish leader. A group of demonstrators who lighted a fire said that the Roboski Massacre was carried out as a follow-up of the 15 February conspiracy. “We will continue to call perpetrators to account until light is shed on the massacre”, they said.

Police also attacked the demonstrator in Şırnak following the march organized by BDP Şırnak provincial organization. Clashes between demonstrators and police forces lasted till late hours. 74 years-old Abdullah Eren was seriously wounded as he was attacked by police with pressure water while on the way to his house from the mosque. Eren who was taken to Şırnak state hospital said that police had deliberately attacked him.

Clashes also erupted in the neighborhoods of Nur, Başak and Cudi in Silopi as police denied permission for the protest march against the international conspiracy.

Police attacked the demonstrators in İdil as they started a march following a press conference. Clashes lasted long in many parts of the district.  

The march by BDP Kızıltepe district organization was also attacked by police, leading to clashes which lasted for hours. A civilian, Ramazan Ay, was wounded on the head as he was brutally attacked by police.

Thousands of people gathered in Nusaybin where their march was soon later attacked by police with tear gas. Clashes expanded to many neighborhoods in the district.

A 17 years-old Kurdish youngster was severely wounded in Batman as police attacked the people in the neighborhood of Yavuz Selim. The wounded minor is reported to be facing critical situation.

The demonstration in Hakkari was also attacked by police with pressure water, tear gas and rubber bullets. Dozens of armored police vehicles were mobilized against young demonstrators who responded to the attack with stones.

A reporter of the İpekyolu daily, Lütfi Pala, was wounded as police attacked demonstrators in Van with tear gas and pressure water.

Police denied permission for the press conference by BDP district organization and attacked demonstrators in the district of Dargeçit as well.

BDP İzmir provincial organization also held a press conference and staged a march in the district of Konak. The protest march was joined by thousands of people who carried banners supporting peace and protesting against military and political operations against Kurds.  

One other press conference against the 15 February conspiracy was held in Antalya under the leadership of BDP Antalya provincial organization. The press conference was followed by a march joined by revolutionary and democrat circles.

Kurds in Adana also took to the streets yesterday, closing the ways to traffic and staging demos in the districts of Seyhan and Yüreğir where all the shops were closed in protest against the international conspiracy.