Curfews to be lifted in Turkey's southeast

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey

The eight-month curfew in Diyarbakir city, southeast Turkey, is to be lifted Saturday morning, the provincial governor’s office said Friday.

The restrictions in the Sur district were imposed in December as security forces attempted to flush out PKK terrorists.

In a statement, the governor’s office said the curfew would be lifted in six of seven areas at 7.00 a.m. local time (0400GMT) Saturday. It would remain in the seventh due to “escalating terror activity in the region” and to ensure the security of lives and property, the statement said.

Fresh curfews were declared for 25 villages in Diyarbakir province in June as security forces launched counter-terrorism operations.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July last year. Since then, more than 600 security personnel have been martyred and more than 7,000 PKK terrorists killed.