Clashes broke out in the city of Batman, capital of Batman Province, the town of Cizre in Sirnak Province, and the town of Yuksekova in Hakkari Province on Tuesday.

Fifteen people were injured in Batman, where about 10,000 people took to the streets to celebrate the Persian New Year, Nowruz. Police used water cannon and tear gas to disperse the Kurds, and they in turn hurled stones at the officers.

Security officials in Cizre said five police officers were wounded and one civilian was hurt when he was hit by stones. Three police officers were also injured during clashes in Yuksekova.

Turkish authorities oppose a demand by the Kurds to hold New Year celebrations and the festivities have been banned until March 21.

The Tuesday clashes between Turkish police and Kurdish citizens come two days after members of the Turkish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) said on March 18 that Haci Zengin, the head of a BDP office in the northwestern city of Istanbul, died after being hit on the head by a tear gas canister as police tried to stop the New Year festivities held in Istanbul.

Ethnic Kurds in Turkey make up 20 percent of the population of about 70 million.