About two thousand women-activists came together from all over Turkey to the center of the “Kurdish capital” – Diyarbakir - to take part in a protest against the clashes between the Turkish army and Kurdish activists, RIA Novosti reports.

According to the activists, they had come by buses from Istanbul, Ankara and other Turkish cities the previous night. Scanning “Peace! Negotiations!” and “Up with resistance of Sur!,” they are now marching across the center of Diyarbakir.

Meanwhile, literally two kilometers away from the rally, an armed clash is underway between the Turkish army and Kurdish activists. The sounds of firing can be well heard by the march participants.  

The historic district of Sur, located in the center of Diyarbakir, is now blocked by the Turkish army and police. The district has several architectural monuments, specifically being surrounded by several kilometer-long rampart, some fragments of which go back to the 4th century B.C. There are 1500-year-old churches and mosques inside the fortress.

However, during the recent month, Sur district has turned into a place of confrontation between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters and Turkish army and police.

Mayor of Diyarbakir, Fırat Anlı,, told RIA Novosti that 50,000 out of 70,000 residents of Sur have left their houses.