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ANKARA, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- The leader of Turkey's main opposition party escaped unharmed when his convoy was caught up in a shooting in the northeastern province of Artvin, authorities said.
Three soldiers were wounded in the shooting, one seriously, Interior Minister Efkan Ala said, blaming the attack on members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
The convoy of Kemal Kilicdaroglu, chairman of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), was not directly attacked but was stuck in clashes between assailants and soldiers guarding the convoy, who foiled a rocket attack, local media reported.
Security forces have launched anti-terror operations in the region, with helicopters being dispatched, the interior minister said.
Kilicdaroglu and the CHP delegation, who were on the way to an event in the province, were later transferred to a secure area with armored vehicles, reports said.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called the CHP chairman to express sympathy and inquire about the incident, while Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus condemned the attack.
