Trending:Greenland standoffTrump tariffsNitin NabinNoida techie death1 year of Trump 2.0India vs NZ T20 seriesPro-Kurd demonstrators and police clash near Turkey–Syria borderagence france-presse • January 20, 2026, 20:27:13 ISTWhatsapp Facebook TwitterClashes broke out on Turkey’s border with Syria as police confronted pro-Kurdish protesters angered by a Syrian military offensive against Kurdish forces, with tear gas and water cannon used to disperse the crowdAdvertisementSubscribe Join Us+ Follow us On GoogleChoose Firstpost on GoogleTurkish riot police officers use tear gas to disperse protesters during a demonstration against the attacks by the Syrian government forces in Diyarbalir, on January 19, 2026. (AFP)Clashes erupted on Turkey’s border with Syria Tuesday between police and pro-Kurdish protesters angered by a Syrian military offensive targeting Kurds, an AFP correspondent said. The violence broke out in the border town of Nusaybin, just across from the northern Syrian town of Qamishli, at a protest called by the pro-Kurdish DEM, Turkey’s third-largest party. More than 1,000 demonstrators marched through the town towards the border, ending in a confrontation with police, who fired tear gas and used water cannon to disperse them. The clashes come after Syrian forces launched an offensive nearly two weeks ago that pushed the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) out of Aleppo, then advanced deep into the northeastern area held by Kurdish forces. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADThe move has angered Kurds across the region, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group in Turkey. An AFP correspondent said some people at the Turkish border protest hurled stones at police, while others tried to cross into Syria. More from World Turkey’s unease over Iran’s unrest: A tailwind for the next Tulip revolution? In a world of ‘might is right’: Could Japan, South Korea go nuclear?Footage from the scene showed some trying to scale the wire fences, while protesters could also be seen gathering on the Syrian side. Earlier, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya warned that Turkey would not tolerate “provocations”. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hailed the Syrian army for its “careful” offensive to take over Kurdish-held areas, but the move has triggered fury among Turkey’s Kurds, who make up a fifth of the country’s 86 million residents.“Mr President (Erdogan), you are congratulating HTS, which is killing our Kurdish brothers.
