Turkish Police clash with Kurdish protesters

Turkish police have clashed with Kurdish demonstrators in the southeastern town of Cizre who were protesting against Ankara’s plans to erect a wall near the border with Syria.

The police used water cannons and smoke grenades to disperse the Sunday protest.

Kurdish protesters say the wall divides them from family members on the Syrian side of the border.

Turkey began the construction of the wall last month in Nusaybin, a border district north of the Syrian town of Qamishli.

Ankara says it is concerned about the spillover of violence from northern Syria.

The Turkish government is a staunch supporter of insurgents in Syria providing them with arms, training and shelter.

Earlier in October, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad echoed warned that Ankara will pay the price for supporting militants, as they would eventually turn against their host.

Turkey has a 900-km border with Syria. Militants have been able to infiltrate into the Arab country undetected in remote areas, by passing the main crossing points.

Observers say with the Syrian army progressing to the north, Ankara has no way but to close its border and rethink its policy towards Syria.

Syria has been gripped by deadly unrest since 2011. According to reports, the Western powers and their regional allies — especially Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey — are supporting the militants operating inside Syria.