Van Governor's Office

A traditional Kyrgyz horse game commonly likened to polo continues to be played in eastern Turkey.

Kök Börü is a synthesis of traditional practices, performances and the game itself.

It is played by two teams on horseback where players try to maneuver a goat's carcass or goat fur and score by putting it into the opponent's goal.

Turkey's opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on June 15 started the "March for Democracy against Coup" in the northwestern province of Edirne and the southeastern province of Hakkari.

The march, which aimed to end in the capital Ankara on June 20, has faced restrictions including bans on entry and exit to some provinces due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Turkish security forces have "neutralized" three militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the eastern province of Van, the Van Governor's Office said in a statement on Aug. 24.

Security forces in Turkey's east "neutralized" on Aug. 22 three outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants, who had been preparing for an attack, the Turkish Armed Forces has stated.

The military said the militants were "neutralized" during an operation backed by the Turkish Air Force in a rural area of the Gürpınar district of the eastern province of Van in the morning hours.

Two local officials from Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) were killed by outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in the eastern province of Van and the southeastern province of Diyarbakır on July 1 in two separate armed assaults in one day. 

One Turkish soldier was killed in a clash with outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) militants in the eastern province of Van on June 7, state-run Anadolu Agency has reported.

The clash occurred in Van's Başkale district during an operation against PKK militants. One soldier was injured and taken to hospital but there he succumbed to his injuries.

A 38-day-old baby in the eastern province of Van has died after being sexually and physically abused, while the mother and two men were arrested over the incident on Jan. 30. 

The baby was taken to hospital in Van's İpekyolu district on Jan. 26 by the mother and the two men.

Turkey has appointed mayors to four municipalities in the southeastern and eastern region of the country following operations to detain and arrest the provinces' democratically elected leaders.

Trustees were appointed to the municipalities of the eastern provinces of Van, Siirt and Tunceli and the southeastern province of Mardin early on Nov. 17. 

Three village guards and one civilian were killed on Nov. 9 in an attack by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the Başkale district of the southeastern province of Van, Doğan News Agency has reported.
PKK militants used long-barreled weapons to rake a minibus carrying village guards returning from the Yavuzlar neighborhood near the Iranian border.

The co-chairs of the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) have condemned the killing of local politicians from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Southeast Anatolia. 

The leaders of the HDP, Selahattin Demirtaş and Figen Yüksekdağ, said there can be "no legitimate reason" for the assassinations.