Hundreds of Kurds rioted on Saturday in eastern Turkey and a suspected bomb blast rocked the offices of the ruling party as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited the conflict-torn region.

The unrest came amid growing unease in the Kurdish community over increased military operations against Kurdish rebels waging a bloody drive for self-rule and alleged mistreatment of rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan in a Turkish prison.

Erdogan arrived in the eastern city of Van for meetings with local officials and supporters, to be greeted by violent clashes between masked Kurdish demonstrators and police.

Fighting erupted when the protestors – mostly supporters of the country's main Kurdish party, the Democratic Society Party (DTP) - pelted police with stones and Molotov cocktails, refusing orders to disperse.

Police fired warning shots in the air and used tear gas against the crowd fleeing into side streets.

The protestors also set seven vehicles on fire during the scuffles which took place just 150 metres from where Erdogan was speaking at a ceremony to inaugurate a government housing project.

A police officer and a civilian were injured in the clashes while several demonstrators were detained.

Addressing a large crowd of supporters waving Turkish flags, Erdogan brushed aside the protests, urging unity and pledging steps to increase the prosperity of the Kurdish community.