Turkish officials have justified a shocking video that shows a shot dead Kurdish protester being dragged behind a police vehicle by a rope tied around his neck - claiming his corpse might have been booby-trapped.

The man, named as 24-year-old actor Haci Lokman Birlik, was killed by Turkish security forces on Friday during clashes with pro-Kurdish groups in circumstances which are still unclear.

The video showed a body in a red shirt and dark trousers, with a rope around the neck, being dragged through darkened streets. Part of the video appeared to have been filmed from inside the vehicle.

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Barbaric: These images of Haci Lokman Birlik's body being dragged through the streets after being shot dead by Turkish security forces on Friday in the province of Sirna

Killed: Birlik was the brother-in-law of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Sirnak deputy Leyla Birlik

It was initially dismissed as fake by the authorities. The pro-Justice and Development Party (AK Party) said the images were fabricated by sympathisers of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party to create a negative public perception about the government and further inflame tensions.

But later the government admitted it was real, going onto claim it was standard practice around the world where the suspect was believed to be a possible suicide bomber.

According to Turkish newspaper Sabah, they said it was 'routine practice' around the world, and was done as a security precaution.

It did not comment on why men on the video can be heard swearing at the body, and one can be heard congratulating his colleague on the shooting dead of the 'terrorist' - who is the brother-in-law of pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Sirnak deputy Leyla Birlik.

The men are all believed to be police officers.

Sharing a photo of the incident on his Twitter account, HDP (Peoples' Democratic Party Turkey) co-chair Selahattin Demirta, said: 'Look at this photo closely. It was taken the day before yesterday in Sirnak.

'Nobody should forget this and we will never forget it.'

Innocent: The men who filmed the video, who are thought to be police officers, are heard congratulating themselves on shooting dead a 'terrorirst', but pro-Kurdish Facebook pages have said Birlik was no such thing

Disgust: Turkey's Prime Minister Ahment Devutoglu has said the treatment was 'unacceptable'

Even Turkey's prime minister Ahmet Davutoglu has condemned the footage.

'It is unacceptable to treat any corpse this way, even if it is a dead terrorist,' he said.

Davutoglu added that the interior ministry 'will conduct a comprehensive investigation, not into the incident itself, but into the way in which this incident was reflected to the world'.

The province of Sirna - where the video was apparently shot - has been the focus of clashes since a ceasefire between the army and the PKK broke down in July.

Speaking to reporters following the young man's funeral, held on Saturday, Leyla Birlik's husband, Mehmet Birlik, said that they will not surrender to the AK Party despite all the pressure it is putting on Kurdish people.