ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Nearly 150 people have been detained in a 10-day nationwide operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Turkey’s interior minister said on Saturday.
The raids were carried out in 41 provinces. Out of 147 suspects, 30 have been charged with terror-related offenses and 17 are under house arrest, Minister Ali Yerlikaya, said on X, adding that “procedures for the others are ongoing.”
The suspects are accused of being “actively involved” in PKK activities, providing financial support to the group, participating in its youth structure, and making propaganda for it on social media, the minister said.
“During the operations, a significant number of organizational documents and digital materials were seized,” he added.
Turkey often carries out raids against PKK suspects.
Ankara also targets pro-Kurdish political parties for alleged ties with the PKK - an accusation the parties have rejected.
On Friday, Turkish security forces took over a municipal council building in the southern province of Mersin and detained the co-mayors and four council members affiliated with the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).
Turkey is on the possible brink of new peace talks to end four decades of conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state.
After a call for an end to the conflict from a nationalist party last year, the DEM Party has begun a series of meetings, laying the groundwork for possible peace talks. Late last month, their delegation was granted rare access to Imrali prison to meet jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. They have also met with Turkish political parties to convey Ocalan’s message and are expected to visit jailed pro-Kurdish politicians, including Selahattin Demirtas.
