Turkey's prime minister is appealing for national unity after unrest in Kurdish-majority areas of the country left at least 16 people dead in the past week.
Speaking to members of his political party, Recep Tayyip Erdogan Tuesday vowed not to give in to violence and to expand democratic reforms. He also rejected any dialogue with the main Kurdish political group, the Democratic Society Party, until it openly condemns the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK as a terrorist organization.
In the past week, hundreds of Kurds have clashed with Turkish security forces in the country's southeast. The unrest started last Tuesday in Diyarbakir after a funeral for 14 members of the PKK killed by the security forces.
The United States has condemned the violence and called on all parties to exercise restraint.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.
