The political operations of the Turkish state, which include extensive detentions and arrests aiming to dissolve the Kurdish political movement, continue increasingly in Kurdish cities in line with the AKP government’s recently enhanced war policies. The co-mayor of Kars’ Digor district Şengül Erkmen and her children were among the detainees in today’s operations, which were carried out in many cities simultaneously. Reports say that police resorted to brutal violence during house raids and detentions.

KARS

Police raided many houses in the Selim, Kağızman and Digor districts of Kars as well as the city centre simultaneously early this morning, detaining a large number of people who include Digor co-mayor Şengül Erkmen, Digor city counsellor Güldane Kılıç, HDP district branch co-chair Öner Buldu, several HDP and DBP executives, and students from the Student Union of Kafkas University. Reports say that police broke down the doors and the windows of the houses during the raids.

AMED

Police raided a house this morning in the Peyas neighbourhood of Amed’s Kayapınar district, destroyed furniture and detained a person named Nevzat Sertaç Özgen. While no information has been given about the reason of the detention, Özgen has reportedly been taken to the police headquarters in Amed.

ADANA

Turkish security forces also carried out simultaneous house raids in the Ova, Onur, and Uçak neighbourhoods of Adana’s Seyhan district and the Anadolu and May 19 neighbourhoods of the Yüreğir district. The houses were searched in detail during the raids, while the police said that they had received information that the people in the houses were in preparation for actions. HDP member Şükrü Bayav, Ferhat Bayav, Refik Korkmaz, Murat Bilgili, Ömer Bilgili and three minors were detained on the grounds of police’s allegation. While the children have been taken to the Juvenile Department in Adana Police headquarters, the other detainees have been taken to the Terror Department.

In the meantime, Yusuf Kaya and the two children who were detained the previous day in the house raids in the Ceyhan district of Adana have been released today by the prosecutor’s office after giving their statements.

MERSİN

Three out seven persons who had been detained in Mersin the previous day were first referred first to the prosecutor’s office and then to the court with an arrest request. Two persons were formally arrested by the court on the alleged ground of “being a member of a terrorist organisation and committing crime in the name of the organization,” while the other person was released.

The other four detainees are still being held at the Police Department for the procedures.

URFA

13 persons have been detained in Siverek district of Urfa during the house raids launched in Hasan Çelebi, Hacı Ömer, Şirinkuyu, Hayriye and Saraykent neighbourhoods early morning.

The detainees have been reportedly taken to Police Department in Siverek, while the reason behind the detentions could not be obtained.

HAKKARİ

The police detained a person named Zafer Orhan last night in a central street in Hakkari. While the reason of the detention remains unknown, Orhan was reportedly taken to Hakkari police headquarters.

MUŞ

Police forces and soldiers lunched simultaneous house raids in the Varto district of Muş early this morning, and detained 2 persons.

In the meantime, another person named Mehmet Kılıç was detained in the house raid carried out by gendarme forces in the Sazlıca (Qerqerut) village of Varto. While no information was provided regarding the reason of the detention, Kılıç has reportedly been taken to the Gendarme Command in the district.

Another person named Mehmet Kapçak was detained in his workplace in the town centre. It has been reported that Kapçak was detained after he refused to give the camera records of his workplace, which were requested in relation to the armed attack carried out against one sergeant and two specialist sergeants in Sanat Street the night before.

In the meantime, four persons who had been detained in Varto district on August 3 are still being held at the Gendarme Command in Varto and have not been referred to the prosecutor’s office for three days.