Türkiye's AKP district official, son, nephew killed in cemetery shooting

Mehmet Direk, head of a district branch of Türkiye's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), was killed alongside his son and nephew in an armed attack at a cemetery in the southeastern province of Batman, Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet reported.

The victims were identified as Direk, his son Erkan Direk and his nephew Abu Bakr Direk.

According to the report, an unidentified gunman or group of gunmen opened fire on the three men in the Güneykent district, killing all of them.

Hüseyin Şansi, head of the AKP’s Batman provincial branch, expressed sorrow over the deaths and described Mehmet Direk as a member of the party’s executive committee and a colleague.

Police cordoned off the scene and launched a large-scale operation to locate and apprehend the suspects.

By Sabina Mammadli