As many as 13 people have been detained by the police in Artuklu district of Mardin since yesterday. The detainees include HDP (Peoples’ Democratic Party) district branch co-chair Hamide Coltu and Erkan Acar, Şeyhmus Keleş, Şerife Kayro, Nezihe Acar and Murat Yıldırım who were set to serve as polling clerks at some voting stations in the district at June 24 elections.

The detainees have been taken to Mardin and they are accused of “membership to an illegal organisation” because of their participation in a meeting organised by the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) in Artuklu in 2015.