Turkey detains 93 nationalists in connection with attack on Kurds

Turkish authorities have detained 93 people in connection with attacks by nationalist mobs that caused damage to property, the Istanbul governor's office said Wednesday.

Violence broke out across the country on Tuesday night following demonstrations held by nationalists against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), triggered by an escalating conflict between the state and the armed group.

Kurdish citizens and businesses were targeted in more than 400 attacks this week, according to Selahattin Demirtas, the leader of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

Demirtas blamed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu for the deteriorating security situation.

"The attack campaign, which is directed by a single hand, is carried out by the government," Demirtas said.

The HDP, which was elected to parliament for the first time this year, saw its headquarters in Ankara and other offices around the country come under attack. Some in government circles accuse the party of having ties to the PKK.

Videos on social media showed Kurdish shop windows being destroyed while the HDP said Kurdish workers were also attacked.

Hurriyet newspaper's headquarters in Istanbul was attacked by government supporters for a second time this week. Sedat Ergin, the editor of Hurriyet, said that the second incident would not have occurred had Erdogan condemned the first attack on Sunday.

Davutoglu took to Twitter to denounce the attacks as "unacceptable."

PKK attacks sparked nationalist anger this week after leaving 31 members of the Turkish security forces dead. The Turkish military has launched a number of airstrikes against the armed group's bases in northern Iraq.

Pro-Kurdish media outlets, including the Firat news agency, have reported on civilian deaths in the south-east of the country, blaming security forces.

Demirtas said he and other HDP members would head to Cizre, a town at the heart of urban fighting between the state and militants which has been placed under tight restrictions.

Turkey is set to hold snap elections on November 1, after polls in June led to a hung parliament. The four parties in parliament were unable to form a coalition government.

Concern has been rising over the elections because of the nationalist attacks and the violence with the PKK.

Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus gave a press conference and condemned attacks on Hurriyet newspaper and political parties. He promised the elections would go ahead as planned.

"We condemn the forces behind these events," Kurtulmus said, promising to bring those responsible to account.

"We are concerned by reports of violent demonstrations in Turkey; we condemn, particulary attacks against political parties or ethnic groups," the US Embassy in Ankara said on its Twitter feed, adding that all protests should be peaceful.

"Also important that Turkish political parties, media outlets receive equal protection from police," the embassy said.