Dozens of people were detained as result of operations conducted in Antalya, Adana, İstanbul, İzmir, Hatay, Mardin and Van provinces early Thursday morning.

MARDİN

Mardin's Syriac Union Association Chair Yuhanna Aktaş has been taken into custody as result of a house raid this morning. Aktaş was reportedly detained in the scope of an investigation launched by Midyat Public Prosecutor.

ISTANBUL

Police raided several houses in Istanbul in Esenyurt, Sarıgazi and Sultangazi vicinities and detained many people including freelance journalist Cüneyt Yavuz. The detainees were taken to Provincial Police Department.

ANTALYA

During this morning's operations in Muratpaşa, Kepez and Alanya districts of Antalya, police took at least 10 people into custody, including Newroz Organisation Committee Chair Neriman Bakır and provincial and district administrators of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). The detainees were taken to Antalya Police Headquarters.

ADANA

The southern province of Adana also witnessed simultaneous air-supported detention operations in the districts of Seyhan, Yüreğir and Ceyhan where the targeted neighborhoods were blockaded with armored vehicles.

36 people including 8 women, among them the shut down Radyo Dünya Executive Editor Medine Gümüş, were taken into custody. The detainees were taken to Adana police headquarters following medical check at Forensic Medicine Institute.

Police also raided the house in Seyhan district of Hakan Ergün, distributor of the shut down Azadiya Welat and Özgür Gündem dailies who is jailed for 8 months. It grabbed attention that police raided Ergün's house to detain him although he is imprisoned. Ergün's family reacted to the raid, saying that their son is already jailed. Police still subjected the family members to criminal record check and left after conducting a detailed search in the house.

On the other hand, procedures continue at police station for 38 people, 18 of whom are children, who were detained during an operation yesterday.

İZMİR

In the western province of İzmir, police conducted simultaneous house raids in the early hours of the morning, and detained many people including HDP provincial co-chair Gülay Bilici and HDP Party Assembly member Berat Kıran.

While the detainees were taken to provincial police directorate after medical control, the number of detainees is reportedly expected to increase.

HATAY

In İskenderun district of the southern Hatay province, police targeted HDP members as they raided some 10 houses in the morning's operations. At least 10 people were detained, including members of the HDP and Newroz Organisation Committee.

ANKARA

Dihaber reporter Hayri Demir was detained as result of a police raid on his house in Ankara province early this morning. Demir was taken into custody by anti-terror police and the reason for his detention was not disclosed due to a confidentiality order on his file. House of Demir's family in Bitlis was also raided in a simultaneous police operation.

VAN

Police forces raided many houses in Saray district of Van early in the morning and detained many people including district municipality co-mayor Abdülkadir Çalışkan, who was replaced by a trustee, as well as members of the municipal council and municipal employees.

Those detained in the operation were taken to District Gendarmerie Command.