Thirteen members of the People’s Democratic Congress (HDK) were taken into custody in the western province of Ýzmir on Sunday because of the hunger strike they started in solidarity with the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party) and PAJK Kurdistan Women’s Liberation Party (PAJK) prisoners in Turkey.

The police intervention came when the mass didn’t agree to end their action after being warned to do so on the grounds of the October 29 Republic Day celebrations today. Thirteen HDK members were taken into custody after the intervention by dozens of undercover and action force police teams as well as TOMA (riot control) vehicles. Banners of the hunger strikers were also seized in the intervention. Detained HDK members were taken to Bozyaka Police Headquarter.

On the other hand, Turkish police also attacked a demonstration staged by thousands of people in the western province of Bursa. Demonstrators protesting against the government’s attitude towards the hunger strike of Kurdish political prisoners were attacked with gas bombs when they wanted to leave a black wreath in front of AKP Yýldýrým district headquarters in the neighbourhood of Yavuz Selim.

The police attack on the mass was supported by the attack of a racist group around. Many demonstrators were injured in the attack to which the young responded with stones.