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Turkish official killed outside his house

July 3, 2017 at 11:43 am

Ambulances and Turkish forces arrive at the scene of a shooting in Turkey [MaltaToday/Twitter]

An official of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party was kidnapped and shot dead in Van late on Saturday, the party’s provincial chairman told the Anadolu Agency.

In the second such killing in the region in less than 24 hours, Aydin Ahi, deputy chairman in the eastern Van province’s Ozalp district, was shot just 20 metres from his house after being kidnapped by two PKK terrorists, Zahir Soganda said.

Earlier Saturday, Orhan Mercan, the AKP’s deputy chairman in the southeastern Diyarbakir province’s Lice district, was also shot dead in front of his house in a suspected PKK assassination.

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AKP district Chairman Orhan Yildirimcakar said other PKK terrorists fired guns while their accomplices kidnapped Ahi.

Sixteen suspects have been arrested, a security source said on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media. Investigations and operations to catch the perpetrators are continuing, the source added.

Last year the PKK also assassinated Ahi’s predecessor, Aydin Musta, in front of his house.