It has been confirmed this morning that 18 political prisoners in Bingöl (Çewlîg) M-Type jail have escaped.

In the count carried out in the morning 18 PKK prisoners were missing. It is understood the prisoners might have escaped through a tunnel they were digging.

Police have closed the city and surroundings of Bingöl and are patrolling the streets and roads.

Justice minister Sadullah Ergin told reporters: "We learned that 18 inmates, 14 of which were arrested and four convicted, have escaped from Mardin prison this morning. Details of the escape will become clearer after the investigation underway is concluded".

The names of the prisoners who escaped today are reported as:

Baran Günana (Kars), Selami Kızıl (Mardin), Diren Yaşa (Amed), Veli Taşkıran (Amed), Şeref Gülen (Amed), Ahmet Oyunlu (Amed), Ramazan Benice (Amed), Rıdvan İpek (Amed), Ali Nergis (Amed), Devrim Kavak (Batman), Diyar Kaydu (Amed), Ekrem Taş (Bingöl), Hüseyin Barsak (Siirt), İbrahim Engin (Amed), Emrah Ubiç (Kars), Cemil Doster (Amed), Osman Kılıç (Bingöl), Ozan Alpkaya (Mardin).