Turkish security forces arrested at least 18 people yesterday, including executives from the Peoples’ Democratic Party, in 4 Turkish states on charges of belonging to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
State media also confirmed the arrest of officials in the party’s subsidiary centers in the four states, and the confiscation of books, organizational magazines, organizational documents and digital materials.
For its part, the Kurdish-majority party stressed that the arrests are only part of a systematic policy pursued by the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and its ally, the Nationalist Movement Party, to close the party permanently.
Analysts believe that the series of arrests is a political step to tighten the screws on the opposition in the run-up to the 2023 elections.
Turkey has arrested more than 700 people it suspects of links to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Separately, the Ankara chief public prosecutor issued 12 arrest warrants for other suspects over their alleged ties to the PKK.
President Erdogan previously unveiled a "human rights action plan" saying that Ankara would strengthen the right to a fair trial and the right of freedom of expression. Critics, however, say the plan fails to address an erosion of human rights in the country.
Turkey's President has taken an increasingly harder line against both the PKK and HDP. Ethnic Kurds make up some 20% of the country's 84 million population.
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