Arrests rise to 28 in crackdown on Kurdish-linked groups

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The crackdown on Kurdish-linked groups in the country has resulted in the arrest of 28 people, including journalists and lawyers.

The Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office had issued warrants on terrorism-related charges against 286 people, with at least 128 detained, including journalists, politicians, and lawyers. Most of the detentions took place in raids across 21 cities early Tuesday.

Yesterday, a penal judgeship of peace arrested four journalists, namely Mehmetşah Oruç, Beritan Canözer, Abdurrahman Gök, and Remzi Akkaya, for "being members of a terrorist organization."

Since then, 24 more suspects, including three lawyers — Özüm Vurgun, Serhat Hezer, and Burhan Ata, who are all members of the Freedom for Lawyers Association (ÖHD), with Vurgun serving as co-chair, have been arrested on the same charge.

Releases

Thirty-one of the detained have been releases so far, according to Mezopotamya Agency (MA).

Four lawyers, Mustafa Şenci, Bünyamin Şeker, Berdan Acun, and Halise Dakalı, were released after giving statements to the prosecutors, with Şenci being given an international travel ban.

Furthermore, several artists, including Devrim Demir, Elvan Koçer, and Şahperi Alphan Bayhan, along with Ramazan Kaval, Talip Turan, Abdulgani Alkan, Avaşin Yanar, Tarık Adanır, Müslüm Şahinsoy, Süleyman Avcı, Havva Canaoğlu, Zeynep Demir, and Seyit Üzbaş, were released under judicial control measures.

Additionally, Kadri Esen, editor-in-chief of Xwebûn, the only Kurdish-language print newspaper in Turkey, Özcan Ateş, Yavuz Akkuzu, artist Devrim Demir, Hamdusena Özbey, Mehmet Yalçın, and Hüsamettin Kılıç were also released.

The crackdown sparked outrage from rights groups and the Kurdish political movement weeks into the dual elections on May 14. (AS/VK)