The Syrian police killed one Kurdish demonstrator at a pro-PKK rally outside the Syrian village of Qamishli over the weekend. About 200 kurds had gathered there to show support for their PKK allies in northern Iraq and southern Turkey. The PKK, which advocates for a kurdish state in the region, has been involved in military skirmishes with the Turkish government after the PKK killed a dozen Turkish soldiers and kidnapped several others. They have since been released.
Syria has strengthened its ties with Turkey recently. The two countries are discussing opening their borders for trade as Turkey clamps down on its own border with Northern Iraq, where the PKK is headquartered.
Syria has a sizeable kurdish population in the northern part of the country.
