Ankara, 15 August 1997 (RFE/RL) -- Unidentified armed assailants today held up a group of Italian and Belgian tourists in southern Turkey and set fire to their vehicles.
Turkey's semi-official Anatolia news agency quotes Antalya governor Husnu Tuglusays as saying that seven or eight armed people ordered the tourists out of their vehicles, turned their jeeps over and burned them.
He said none of the 40-strong group of tourists was injured or kidnapped in the incident near the popular Mediterranean beach resort of Kemer, near Antalya
The agency says eight jeeps were burned out and a further two were pushed over a cliff. Tuglu said there were indications that the armed group belonged to the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Today is the 13th anniversary of the start of the PKK's armed struggle against Turkey for self rule in the southeast of the country. More than 26,000 people have died in the fighting.
Turkey's semi-official Anatolia news agency quotes Antalya governor Husnu Tuglusays as saying that seven or eight armed people ordered the tourists out of their vehicles, turned their jeeps over and burned them.
He said none of the 40-strong group of tourists was injured or kidnapped in the incident near the popular Mediterranean beach resort of Kemer, near Antalya
The agency says eight jeeps were burned out and a further two were pushed over a cliff. Tuglu said there were indications that the armed group belonged to the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).
Today is the 13th anniversary of the start of the PKK's armed struggle against Turkey for self rule in the southeast of the country. More than 26,000 people have died in the fighting.