ANKARA, Oct 10 (KUNA) -- At least 31 people have been killed and more than 500 wounded in the protests that erupted in Turkey over the past days, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said on Friday. Two police officers were also killed.
Armed clashes took place between protesters demonstrating in solidarity with the Syrian border town of Kobane and groups opposing them.
"Since Tuesday [Oct. 7], 35 provinces have been affected by these incidents, in which 31 people have unfortunately lost their lives., most of them in violent actions between opposing groups," Ala told reporters at a press conference today.
Two police officers were killed and a police chief was seriously wounded in an attack in the eastern Anatolian province of Bingol late on Thursday.
139 security officers, 125 of whom are police officers and five of whom are gendarmerie officers, have been wounded, Ala said, noting that 351 people have been wounded in total.
Some 1113 buildings and more than 1117 vehicles have been vandalized during the clashes, the Minister said.
Ala accused local and foreign organizations of creating internal trouble through acts of violence and sabotage, "at the time when the government is working hard to develop the country and boost democracy." Turkish governorates witnessed protests called for by Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in solidarity with Kurdish fighters defending the town of Ain Al-Arab (Kobane) against the advance of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). (end) rs.msa