Turkish Interior Ministry says 735 people linked to PKK/KCK have been detained after security forces raids

OVER 735 people accused of being members of the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party/Kurdistan Communities Union were detained during raids carried out by Turkish security forces.

This was announced by the Turkish Ministry of Interior Monday.

According to the explanation, a total of 735 people, the detainees were planning to stage protests as part of the anniversary of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan’s capture.

The ministry alleged they are believed to have been planning to “create chaos” before the March 31 local elections in Turkey.

Subsequent to the arrests, 226 of those bust were released. Of the remaining, 61 people were formally arrested while legal procedures against 448 detainees were ongoing, the Ministry further explained.

Last Friday was the 20th anniversary of the day Turkish secret service agents nabbed Ocalan in Kenya, outside the Greek embassy in Nairobi on February 15, 1999.

Turkish security forces seize various weapons and ammunition

The Ministry claimed during the raids, Turkish security forces seized six long-barreled weapons, 32 shotguns, 14 heavy weapon ammunition, 19 guns, 3441 various ammunition such as cartridges, one hand grenade bomb, 20 kg TNT, 225 kg ammonium nitrate, 16 mine handmade explosives (EYT).

The PKK has been fighting with Turkish Security forces since 1984 to create an independent Kurdish state. More than 40 000 people have been killed since the PKK took up arms against Turkey.

Ocalan is imprisoned at Imrali Island, which is in Turkey’s internal Sea of Marmara just across the Mudanya district of the Western Turkish province of Bursa. PKK is viewed as a terrorist group by Ankara and its Western allies.

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from IPA NEWS https://ipa.news/2019/02/18/turkish-interior-ministry-says-735-people-linked-to-pkk-kck-have-been-detained-after-security-forces-raids/