Turkey: IED attack wounds one in Batman province May 23

Event

Suspected Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants carried out an improvised explosive device (IED) attack in Kozluk district (Batman province) on Wednesday, May 23, wounding one village guard. Additional PKK militant attacks on security forces are possible in Batman province and southeastern Turkey in the near-term.

Context

Turkey has faced a Kurdish insurgency since 1984, spearheaded by the PKK, which was renewed in 2015 following the dissolution of a ceasefire. Tensions between the Turkish state and Kurdish populations have intensified further since the launch of Operation Olive Branch, a Turkish offensive against Kurdish groups in Syria, in January 2018. The conflict has left over 40,000 people dead since 1984 and associated violence continues to pose a significant security risk in southeastern Turkey.

Advice

Due to the Turkish government's ongoing conflict with the PKK, some Western governments advise against travel to areas along the Syrian and Iraqi borders, as well as nonessential travel to the provinces of Şırnak, Gaziantep, Diyarbakir, Mardin, Şanlıurfa, Kilis, Hatay, Siirt, Tunceli, and Hakkâri.