
A Turkish court on Thursday sentenced dozens pro-Kurdish politicians to between nine and 30 years in prison over deadly riots in 2014 by Kurds who were angered by what they perceived to be government inaction against Islamic State group militants who had besieged the Syrian border town of Kobani.
The three days of clashes that broke out in October 2014 resulted in 37 deaths and left hundreds of others — police and civilians — injured. The protests were called by leaders of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party, or HDP, who were frustrated by what they considered to be Turkish support for IS militants.