ANKARA, Turkey — In a comprehensive operation aimed at the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Turkish authorities have detained 282 individuals over the last five days, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
These arrests took place in 51 out of Turkey’s 81 provinces, as reported by the minister on the social media platform X.
Reports from Cumhuriyet and other media outlets indicate that among those detained are members of smaller left-wing parties, an artist, and at least three journalists.
This wave of arrests occurs amidst renewed attempts for dialogue between the Turkish government and the PKK, which has been involved in a longstanding conflict that has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands.
There have been suggestions that Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the PKK, may urge his faction to cease armed resistance.
Yerlikaya stated that the detained individuals are suspected of various offenses, including providing financial assistance to the PKK, recruiting new members, spreading propaganda, and taking part in violent protests.
During the operations, law enforcement officials also confiscated two AK-47 rifles along with other weaponry, as per the minister’s announcements.
In recent months, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration has intensified its crackdown on opposition entities, leading to the arrests of several journalists and political figures.
Moreover, numerous elected Kurdish mayors have been removed from their roles due to alleged affiliations with the PKK and have been replaced by officials appointed by the state.
The most recent dismissal occurred on Saturday when the mayor of Van municipality in the eastern part of the country was replaced by the governor chosen by the state.
The PKK has been engaged in an insurgency against the Turkish state for decades and is classified as a terrorist organization by both Turkey and its Western allies.