And More Violence . . .

Two more Turkish soldiers were killed in two separate incidents of PKK-placed landmine explosions in Hakkari and Sirnak provinces.

UPDATE I (5/11) -- For Mother's Day, the southeastern NGO Peace Mothers staged a sit-in in Ankara. More than 100 protestors called for an end to the Turkish military's operations against the PKK. From Bianet:

On Mothers' Day (9 May), the Mothers for Peace started a sit-down strike in the centrally located Abdi İpekçi park in Ankara to convey their demand for peace and for an end of military operations. By fax they asked for an appointment with the General Staff Presidency. Spokeswomen Nedret Demir, Naciye İlke and Türkiye Bozkurt singed the fax and hope for a positive answer for the Mothers for Peace:

"We are here in Ankara for a two-day sit-down strike because of Mothers' Day. We say 'We do not want any more coffins, we want to hug our children'. The time has come for a democratic and political solution of the Kurdish question. We are here to convey our persistence for peace. A delegation of three people asked for an appointment for Tuesday, 11 May, or on any other suitable day, to communicate our thoughts. We think that the request of the mothers will be accepted, beyond all prejudice. We send our regards".