Turkish authorities detained 282 suspects over the past five days in a sweeping operation aimed at combating the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced.
The suspects were apprehended across 51 of Turkey’s 81 provinces, Yerlikaya stated in a post on the social media platform X.
According to local media, those arrested include members of small political parties, an artist, and at least three journalists. The detentions come amid renewed efforts between Ankara and the PKK to resolve a long-standing conflict that has resulted in tens of thousands of casualties. The efforts are anticipated to involve a call by the PKK’s imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan, for the group to disarm.
Yerlikaya stated that the detained individuals are suspected of providing financial support to the PKK, recruiting members, engaging in propaganda activities, and participating in violent street protests. During the raids, police also seized two AK-47 assault rifles and other weapons, he added.
In recent months, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government intensified its crackdown on opposition groups, leading to the arrests of journalists, politicians, and others. Several elected Kurdish mayors have been removed from office over alleged ties to the PKK and replaced with state-appointed officials.
The most recent such dismissal occurred on Saturday, when the mayor of Van municipality in eastern Turkey was ousted and replaced by the provincial governor.
The PKK, which has waged a decades-long insurgency in Turkey, is designated as a terrorist organisation by both Turkey and its allies.
