Turkey slaps curfew to disperse protests over IS advance

Turkey Tuesday declared a curfew in three provinces in an effort to disperse demonstrations against the advance of Islamic State (IS) militants into Kurdish populated Kobane town in northern Syria, media reported.

The curfew was declared in towns of southeastern Mardin province, eastern Van province and eastern Siirt province of Turkey, Xinhua reported citing the Dogan news agency.

One person, Hakan Buksur, was reportedly killed by live ammunition as riot police fired at demonstrators with bullets, tear gas and water cannons in Varto town in eastern province of Mus, said the report.

"Protesters should empty the streets or the issue will produce unforeseen results," Turkish Interior Minister Efkan Ala said in Gaziantep province Tuesday, warning that "violence will be responded to."

The pro-Kurdish People's Democracy Party (HDP) issued an appeal Monday, calling on Kurds in Turkey to hold demonstrations against Islamic State's "attempt to massacre" Syrian Kurds in the city of Kobane.

Protesters have been staging demonstrations across Turkey since late Monday as Kurds in the country urge the Turkish government to defend Syrian Kurds in the neighbouring country that has witnessed fierce clashes between IS militants and Kurdish fighters for three weeks.

Kurdish groups, reportedly affiliated with the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), torched banks, cars, buildings on Tuesday, following reports that the IS militants had captured some parts of Kobane over the weekend.

Kobane, also known as Ayn al-Arab, has been subject to ferocious attacks by IS militants over the past two weeks. IS fighters have succeeded in capturing hundreds of Kurdish villages around Kobane, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee.