Turkish soldiers who came under attack by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) today were both outnumbered and outgunned by their foes, Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç said.
Eight soldiers were killed and 16 were injured in an attack on a military outpost in the eastern province of Hakkari’s Dağlıca district today. Ten PKK militants were also killed in the clashes.
Arınç said the militants mounted a large-scale attack on the outpost and outnumbered the soldiers. It was reported earlier that the militants used heavy weapons in the attack.
“Such incidents happened earlier in the struggle [against the PKK]. This is not the first time and it will not be the last,” Arınç said.
Arınç said he had not yet discussed the attack with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is in Mexico for a G-20 summit.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.
