43 Turkish soldiers were killed on Thursday during the clashes between Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) fighters and Turkish army, People’s Defense Forces (HPG) fighters ( a PKK wing) announced in a statement on Saturday.

The statement came after Turkish media announced on Thursday that 13 Kurdish rebels were killed by Turkish army in two separate clashes in Turkey's southeast on Thursday.

More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the PKK took up arms for Kurdish self-rule in 1984.