Journalist and activists detained in Diyarbakır

Click to read the article in Turkish

Several women were taken into custody in house raids conducted by the police in Turkey's southern province of Diyarbakır in early morning hours today (July 14). Among the detained are also Free Women Movement (TJA) Spokesperson Ayşe Gökkan and journalist Ayşe Güney.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), at least 12 women have been detained as part of the police raids in Diyarbakır and its districts.

As of 11 a.m. today, the following people were still in detention:

Mesopotamia Women Journalists' Platform Spokesperson and Jinnews editor Ayşe Güney; TJA Spokesperson Ayşe Gökkan; Med Federation of Associations for Legal Aid and Solidarity with Families of Arrestees and Convicts (MED TUHAD-FED) Co-Chair Elif Haran; Association for Solidarity with Families of Arrestees (TUAY-DER) member Rabia Ataş; Bağlar Municipal Council Members Panayır Çelik and Halime Bayram; Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Yenişehir former District Co-Chair Demet Özkaran; Zekiye Güler, Figen Ekti, Health and Social Service Laborers' Union (SES) Diyarbakır Branch Executive Rozerin Çatak; Emine Kaya, Dilan Yakut, Yenişehir Municipal Council Members Gülşen Güneş and Ronda Bat.

It has been further reported that while the houses of TUAY-DER Executive Bahar Akyapı and HDP Sur Co-Chair Hatun Yıldız were also raided, they could not be detained as they were not at home.

While the reason for the detention of women is still unknown, they are reportedly held in Diyarbakır Provincial Security Directorate. (EMK/SD)