The almost 4-year-old Syrian civil strife is threatening to spill over into Turkey. Turkey’s Kurds vented their anger in the streets across the country Oct. 7, warning the government that if it idly stands by while the Kurdish-dominated Syrian border town of Kobani falls to the Islamic State (IS), peace negotiations with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) will end and a new round of armed conflict in Turkey will begin.

Members of Huda-Par (Free Cause Party), an Islamist Kurdish organization, clashed with pro-PKK crowds, especially in the country’s eastern and southeastern provinces.

Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse the angry demonstrators; 18 people died in the protests. The government declared a curfew in Batman, Diyarbakir, Mardin, Van and Siirt. Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala said the Kurds’ outburst was “unacceptable” and that “violence won’t be tolerated.” He added, “It is a fat lie to claim Turkey isn’t doing anything about Kobani. Turkey is trying to do all it can in humanitarian terms. Turkey can in no way be pleased with Kobani’s fall and having a terror organization like [IS] on its borders.” He also said, “It is utterly irresponsible to hold Turkey directly responsible for developments occurring outside its borders" and to use such events as an excuse to end the fragile peace process.

Diyarbakir Mayor Gulten Kisanak disagreed. “It is not only the Huda-Par attacks in Diyarbakir; the government has applied its Plan B across the country. It deployed paramilitary forces against the public. It activated fascists in Istanbul, Azeris in Igdir and Hezbul-contra forces in Diyarbakir,” Kisanak said Oct. 7. Hezbul-contra is a derogatory term used to describe Turkish Hezbollah (Party of God), a Kurdish Sunni Islamist group that has been associated with Huda-Par.