ANKARA, Turkey—A western region of Uzbekistan remains under a state of emergency on July 11  following violent clashes early this month that left at least 18 people dead.
Sparked by government proposals to curtail its autonomy, Karakalpakstan underwent the worst bout of violence to be seen in the former Soviet republic in 17 years.
“Plans by the central government to abolish the region’s constitutional right to vote on secession appear to have triggered local residents,” Kursad Zorlu, a prominent Turkey-based political commentator, told The Epoch Times.
Although Karakalpakstan has been an integral part of Uzbekistan since 1936, Zorlu said, “it has long nursed a desire for independence.”…