Three detained, including a former mayor, by Turkish police on terror charges after speeches were made at a pro-Kurdish HDP rally

Three people have been detained by Turkish police on charges of “making propaganda of a terrorist organization” after a rally held by the pro-minority People’s Democratic Party’s (HDP).

The rally was held in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa on Sunday.

Selim Sadak, the former Siirt mayor and board member of the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), an umbrella body of the Kurdish political movement, regarded as illegal by Ankara, was among the detainees.

Pro-government media entities reported that the detention of Sadak and his two aides was based on his remarks during the rally in Viransehir district of Sanliurfa, where the HDP co-chair Sezai Temelli also addressed the crowds.

A pro-government daily, Takvim, claimed the three were accused of making propaganda of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged a decades-old insurgency in the country.

As Turkey’s local elections loom, Turkish police have conducted subsequent raids on HDP members over terror charges.

Local elections will be held on March 31 in Turkey.

Late on Saturday, seven HDP MPs were detained following a Special Operation Unit of Turkish police that forcefully entered the Diyarbakır offices of the party, where they started a hunger strike as a sign of support to HDP MP Leyla Guven.

Guven has been on a hunger strike for more than four months, in protest against the terms of isolation implemented on Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK, who has been in prison since 1999.

The raids have become frequent after Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu vowed to stop HDP MPs on hunger strikes and prevent those intending to march against the mass crackdown on supporters of Guven.

Police storms pro-Kurdish party’s offices using rubber bullets – 7 MPs detained

 

The post Three detained, including a former mayor, by Turkish police on terror charges after speeches were made at a pro-Kurdish HDP rally appeared first on IPA NEWS.

from IPA NEWS https://ipa.news/2019/03/11/three-detained-including-a-former-mayor-by-turkish-police-on-terror-charges-after-speeches-were-made-at-a-pro-kurdish-hdp-rally/