Turkey Detains 282 Suspects Linked to PKK in Nationwide Raids Amid Ongoing Crackdown
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Turkish authorities arrested 282 individuals on suspicion of links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a militant group, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Tuesday. The detained individuals include journalists, politicians, and academics. These arrests were part of a series of raids over the past five days, coinciding with Turkey’s ongoing efforts to remove pro-Kurdish mayors accused of supporting the PKK. This crackdown comes amid ongoing hopes for peace in the 40-year conflict between the PKK and the Turkish government.
Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned PKK leader, is expected to release a statement addressing these efforts, four months after a close ally of President Tayyip Erdogan urged him to ask the PKK to cease hostilities. The Journalists’ Union of Turkey denounced the detention of three journalists, criticising the method of house raids rather than inviting them to the police station.
Among the detained were members of the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK), smaller leftist groups, academics, and a prominent LGBTQ rights advocate. Police conducted counter-terrorism operations across 51 provinces, including Ankara and Istanbul. Yerlikaya stated that the suspects are accused of promoting PKK propaganda, funding the group, recruiting members, and participating in street protests. Police also seized two AK-47 rifles and other weapons during the raids.
On Saturday, a pro-Kurdish DEM Party mayor was dismissed from his post in Van, eastern Turkey, over terrorism-related convictions, bringing the total number of DEM Party mayors dismissed since the 2024 elections to eight. The PKK has been involved in an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, leading to over 40,000 deaths. It is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey and its Western allies.