Demonstrations have been held in Batman to protest the arrest of over 40 people on February 4 and the armed attacks which targeted Batman municipality and BDP building on the 5th.

The press statement of the demonstration which was joined by BDP administrators and union members was read by Genel-Ýþ Union Batman Branch Chair Murat Akýn who reminded that the NGOs in Batman considered “collective resignation and withdrawal from civil society area”. Akin noted that it would be meaningless to remain on the valid ground in an environment of intense political tension and political arrests”.

The so-called “KCK” operation on February 4 targeted the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) buildings, the Kurdish daily Azadiya Welat office, the Association of Solidarity with the Families of the Disappeared (MEYADER) and many houses. While the operation resulted in more than 40 arrests, buildings of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and Municipality were attacked by three assailants yesterday at around 20.30 local time.

In connection with the attacks, police has taken two people into custody today who, according to the statement by Governorship of Batman, claimed that the attacks were carried out as a response to an unmentioned molotov cocktail attack of Kurdish demonstrators. However, no molotov cocktail attack has been reported in the city recently.