75 individuals were detained in house raids on Friday across 11 cities in Turkey, including İzmir, Eskişehir, Kilis, Kocaeli, Batman (Êlih), Hakkari (Colemêrg), Mardin (Mêrdîn), Diyarbakır (Amed), Ağrı (Agirî), Bitlis (Bedlîs), and Şırnak (Şirnex). Among those detained are Ahmet Kanbal, a reporter for the Mezopotamya Agency (MA), who was arrested in Mardin (Mêrdîn), and several politicians from pro-Kurdish parties.
The detentions are part of Turkey’s broader crackdown on the Kurdish opposition in the country along with the cross-border attacks carried out in northeast Syria and Iraqi Kurdistan. The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has also issued detention warrants for 23 individuals for posting on social media about the 1 October protest against the Ministry of Interior, accusing them of “terror propaganda”.
In İzmir, HDP Izmir provincial co-chairs Berna Çelik and Çınar Altan, along with other party members, were detained. In Kocaeli, Istanbul, Bursa, and Muğla, at least 11 people were arrested, including HDP Kocaeli provincial co-chair Aynur Sento. The reasons for these detentions remain undisclosed, and those arrested are being held at various Provincial Security Directorates.
The total number of people detained in the five days following the attack on the Ministry of Interior has now reached at least 246, encompassing journalists and politicians.
