Head of Diyarbakır Bar Association, Tahir Elçi, was detained last night in the scope of a warrant of capture for defending that “PKK is not a terrorist organization”. Elçi was detained at the building of Bar Association at 02:20 last night, and taken to İstanbul early this morning.

Bakırköy Public Prosecutor's office issued a warrant of capture for Head of Diyarbakır Bar on grounds of "spreading propaganda for a terrorist organization" after he said on a TV program last week that; "PKK is an armed political movement that has political demands and a remarkable support behind it".

After waiting to get detained at the bar building as of yesterday evening after the imposition of a warrant of arrest, Elçi was detained at midnight and held at Diyarbakır Police Directorate till the morning when he was taken to Istanbul. After giving his statement at Istanbul Police Directorate, Elçi was referred to Bakırköy Courthouse for an interrogation by the prosecutor.

Before his detention last night, Elçi said once again that he stood behind his remarks. In the meantime, bar associations in the Kurdish region held a press conference in Diyarbakır and expressed solidarity with him.

HDP Group Deputy Chair İdris Baluken who also criticized the legal action against Elçi, said that; "The people of Diyarbakır, the Kurdish region and most of the circles waging a democracy struggle in Turkey are of the same opinion with with Tahir Elçi. This state must give up its attempts to intimidate and silence everyone."