Thousands of Kurds gathered for civil Friday prayers in the Democratic Solution Tents and squares across Turkey to protest increasing military operations in the region.

Under the shadow of police armed with guns, Kurds prayed together, again,

in Diyarbakýr, Manisa,Van, Hakkari, Turgutlu, Þýrnak, Urfa, Siirt, Batman, Mersin, Adana, Ýstanbul, Antep and districts such as Viranþehir, Yüksekova, Varto, Malazgirt, Bulanýk, Baþkale, Erciþ, Tatvan, Beytüþþebap, Kurtalan, Suruç, Ýdil,Cizre, Uludere, Silvan, Derik, Silopi, Ergani, Kýzýltepe, Lice, Ceylanpýnar and Nusaybin.

All sermons in the tents were given in Kurdish and devoted to themes of democratic peace and condolences for 13 lately died soldiers’ families. They also asked the government to end current military operations and political oppression against the Kurdish people and releasing political prisoners.

Many Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) executives and NGO representatives took part in the prayers.