Union members have once again been targeted by a new wave of raids in the Turkish capital Ankara early Monday.

Around 400 police officers have reportedly taken part in the expansive operation which allegedly targeted the left-wing organization DHKP-C. A number of addresses have been raided at around 5 a.m. Police search is still continuing in 21 places targeted by the operation, including the head offices of Genel-İş Union affiliated to DİSK and Liman-İş Union affiliated to Türk-İş

Ten people have been taken into custody so far in the scope of the operation which has been claimed to be related with the blast attacks that targeted the Ministry of Justice and the headquarters of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on 19 March.

The left-wing organization DHKP-C claimed responsibility for the attacks which -it said- were carried out against the acts of injustice by the AKP government.

The Turkish media has alleged that one of the detainees, named G.M., was the provincial head of the DHKP-C organization in Ankara.

Speaking about the operation, Genel-İş Union Department of Organization Chairman Remzi Çalışkan said that the people searched in the scope of the operation had no connection with their union or its institutional structure and mechanism.

Çalışkan evaluated the operation as an attack against the union.

Speaking to journalist in front of the Genel-İş Union office raided by police, Republican People's Party (CHP) general vice president Sezgin Tanrıkulu condemned the operation which -he said- aimed to bring the union and the democracy struggle in Turkey into disrepute.

Dozens of union members and lawyers have been arrested in the so-called DHKP-C operations that have targeted unions since the beginning of the new year. The most recent operation against opponent unionists had been carried out in 28 cities on 19 February when over 160 people were taken into custody and among them 55 were sent to prison.

The so-called DHKP-C operation in January ended up with the arrest of nine lawyers included Selçuk Kozağaçlı, the President of Contemporary Lawyers Association.