Southeastern Turkey has been rocked by violence since July when the outlawed PKK abandoned a two-year ceasefire; the Turkish army launched security operations since, claiming the lives of more than 5.000 Kurds militants according to President Tayyip Erdogan.
Another car bomb exploded in the town of Hani, north of the provincial capital of Diyarbakir, on Monday wounding several. Witnesses said the force of the blast was so strong that windows shattered and buildings around town shook.
Meanwhile, the Turkish government is carrying out “urgent expropriation” of properties in four provinces in the countries southeast to build security outposts according to several Turkish media. The land at stake is at the Bağlar and Kayapınar districts of Diyarbakır province, the Çukurca and Yüksekova districts of Hakkari province, the Kızıltepe district of Mardin province and the Cizre and İdil districts of Şırnak province.
According to Hurriyet, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also promised Yüksekova and Cizre will gain “city” status.
In an unusual but symbolic move, Monday’s cabinet meeting was held in Sanliurfa, a southeastern province bordering with Syria. It was the first time the meeting was held outside of Ankara in 13 years. Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu used the opportunity to discuss regarding the terror-hit southeast and the developments in foreign issues.