Six Police Officers Killed in Explosion in Southeast Turkey

In an explosion of a car bomb in the predominantly Kurdish province of Bingöl in southeast Turkey, six police officers were killed and four others were injured. This incident occurred on Monday, August 1st, and the condition of two of the injured is reported to be critical. According to Reuters, the car bomb exploded as a police patrol vehicle was passing by. No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet, but Yavuz Selim Kösger, the governor of Bingöl, and some security officials in Turkey have attributed the attack to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The PKK has not yet responded to the recent explosion. The PKK is a Kurdish militant organization that has been fighting the Turkish central government for autonomy in Kurdish regions for the past 32 years. Over 40,000 people have died in the conflict so far. The organization is designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, and most EU member states. The Turkish army has launched military operations against the PKK since summer 2015, after deeming a two-year ceasefire unsuccessful. Some opposition political parties criticize these attacks, stating that civilians are also killed during these operations. Human rights defenders claim that at least 400 civilians have died in the past year due to clashes between Turkish state forces and the PKK. Turkish officials hold the PKK responsible for some explosions in the country, an accusation that the military organization often denies. However, a splinter group of the PKK, known as the Kurdistan Freedom Hawks (TAK), claimed responsibility for an explosion at a tourist center in Istanbul last June, which targeted a police bus and resulted in at least 11 deaths, including seven police officers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused Russia last June of supplying weapons to the PKK. According to Turkish media, Erdoğan stated during a visit to the Kurdish city of Diyarbakır that Russia is sending missiles and anti-aircraft weapons to the PKK via Iraq and Syria. Both Russia and the PKK have denied these allegations. Tensions in relations between Moscow and Ankara have escalated following Russia's airstrikes in Syria and the downing of a Russian fighter jet by Turkey.