Turkish police and gendarmerie (military police) stormed hundreds of houses in dozens of villages in Hizan and Tatvan districts of Bitlis early this morning. The operation, which followed a siege on the villages affected, was carried out within the scope of an investigation conducted by Bitlis Public Prosecutor's Office.

While raids and the siege are still continuing in the villages, the entrances and exits of many villages have been closed. The detainees were taken to Bitlis Security Directorate and Gendarmerie Regional Commands. A confidentiality order was imposed on the case file and a 24-hour ban on access to lawyers was imposed. Among those detained are women and elderly people.

In the scope of the same investigation, several houses were raided in the Gevaş and İpekyolu districts of Van.

At least 43 people have been taken into custody so far on the allegations of "being a member of an illegal organisation", "aiding and abetting an illegal organisation.

The population in the province of Bitlis is repeatedly subjected to state terror. Large-scale military operations took place in the rural areas of the city during the summer months. Curfews were imposed and villagers are no longer able to graze their cattle. Since the start of September, large areas of forest have been cut down to restrict the movement of the guerrillas and to build large military fortresses. These measures are placing a considerable burden on the Kurdish rural population and increasing the pressure on residents to leave the affected areas.