Seeking Kurdish support, Turkey’s Erdogan calls himself ‘guardian of peace’

President Tayyip Erdogan described himself as a "guardian of peace" on Saturday as he called on Kurds in conflict-torn southeast Turkey to vote 'yes' in a referendum in two weeks time on reforms that would grant him sweeping new powers.


Since the collapse of a two-year-old ceasefire in July 2015, the mainly Kurdish southeast has been rocked by some of the most intense fighting in three decades of conflict between Kurdish militants and Turkish security forces.

According to a United Nations estimate, about 2,000 people were killed and up to a half a million displaced in the state's conflict with Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants.
 [elethos.gr/Reuters]
1/4/17
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