Clashes erupted in southeast Turkey Monday after a rally to mark 17 years since the arrest of Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the PKK, an outlawed Kurdish movement.

About 300 demonstrators assembled in the mainly Kurdish district of Diyarbakir chanting "We will win by resisting" and "long live Apo," in reference to Ocalan.

Police unleashed tear gas and water cannons to disperse the rally.

Some demonstrators retaliated by firing stun grenades and fireworks, while others banged the shutters of closed shops and banged pots in protest.

"If the Turkish people want to have peace in this country, this depends on peace and security in Kurdistan," said Ayla Akat Ata, a Kurdish politician from the city of Batman.

The PKK— designated a terrorist organization also by the U.S. and the EU — renewed its armed campaign against the Turkish state in late July.

Turkish security forces have been engaged in large-scale operations against Kurdish militants since December, imposing controversial curfews in flashpoint areas and raising concerns about civilians caught up in the fighting.

AP