Sunday’s attack on the General Directorate of Security, attached to the Interior Ministry, has so far led to the detention of over 90 individuals across Turkey, Mezopotamya Agency reported on Tuesday. The initial detentions took place in Istanbul and Kırklareli, involving at least 20 people, including leaders from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP).
The People’s Defence Centre (HSM), an armed wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) has claimed responsibility for the attack. The group stated that it was a warning to the Turkish government against its policies, including alleged human rights abuses and the use of chemical weapons. This context adds another layer of complexity to the ongoing detentions and investigations.
A woman by the name of Fatma Gizleyici, who is a co-chair of the Birca Belek Language and Culture Association, was detained in a dawn raid by police in the Kurdish-majority city of Şırnak (Şirnex) in southeast Turkey. The reason for Gizleyici’s detention has not been disclosed.
Twenty-five people, mainly refugees from North and East Syria, were arrested in Urfa (Riha). Some of those detained are Hacı Şex Halil, Yalçın Sağ and his wife Şivîn Bozan.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced in a tweet that 12 suspects had been arrested in the provinces of Mersin, Van (Wan), Urfa, Mardin (Mêrdîn) and Aydın, and that 55 individuals whom he defined as “terrorist organisation members” had been arrested in operations in 16 provinces, including Urfa, Mardin, Diyarbakir (Amed), Gaziantep (Dilok), Mersin, Şırnak, Istanbul, Bursa, Batman (Êlih), Denizli, Adana, Kayseri, Antalya, Konya, Isparta and Kocaeli. He also aonnounced that 13,440 security personnel had mobilised in the operations.
A confidentiality order has been placed on the investigation, restricting detainees from accessing legal advice for 24 hours.