The number of people detained in the ongoing police investigation into Kurdish language and cultural institutions in Turkey’s Diyarbakır (Amed) city has reached 25, the authorities confirmed on Tuesday. The crackdown targeted organisations including the Mezopotamya Language and Culture Research Association (MED-DER) and Anka Language and Arts Education Cooperative, which provides multilingual education and cultural workshops. The police have confiscated books, magazines and computer hard drives, enforcing a strict secrecy order on the case, with a 24-hour restriction placed on lawyer access for the detainees.
The detentions have raised concerns among rights groups. Among those in police custody are prominent figures from MED-DER and other institutions, including MED-DER co-chairs Mehmet Remzi Azizoğlu and Şükran Yakut, along with several cultural workers and educators. Meanwhile, protests have broken out in the city, with Amed Labour and Democracy Platform condemning the police operation as an act of “cultural genocide.” Spokesperson Faruk Ercan of the platform accused the government of escalating its assimilation policies, which have historically targeted the Kurdish language and culture.
The detentions and protests come against a backdrop of increasing repression in Turkey, where Kurdish language initiatives face growing restrictions. Earlier this year, Diyarbakır café owner Ramazan Şimşek was placed under house arrest after declaring that his establishment would provide service in Kurdish. His case remains unresolved after four months.
Rights activists are calling for the release of those detained and an end to what they describe as the systematic oppression of Kurdish language and culture in Turkey.
