Ministry of Interior: 418 People Taken into Custody in 29 Provinces

* Photograph: Anadolu Agency

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The Ministry of Interior has announced that as part of terror operations conducted in 29 provinces, 418 people in total have been taken into custody. The Ministry has also stated that the operations are still continuing.

In a statement released on the social media account of the Ministry, it has been stated, "In 29 provinces, particularly in Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van, 418 people have been caught and taken into custody as part of operations against PKK/KCK (Kurdistan Workers Party/Kurdistan Communities Union)." The Ministry has also announced that the operations still continue.

Diyarbakır, Mardin ve Van illeri başta olmak üzere toplam 2️⃣9️⃣ ilde PKK/KCK Terör Örgütüne yönelik 4️⃣1️⃣8️⃣ şahıs yakalanarak gözaltına alındı.

Yakalamaya dönük operasyonlar devam etmektedir.

❗Kamuoyuna saygıyla duyurulur.

— T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı (@TC_icisleri) August 19, 2019

Operation against Co-Mayors and Provincial Co-Chairs

Raids were conducted against the houses of Diyarbakır Co-Mayor Hülya Alökmen Uyanık and HDP Diyarbakır Provincial Co-chair Zeyat Ceylan. While they have not been detained as they were not at home, their houses have been reportedly searched.

Among the ones who have been detained are also:

HDP Diyarbakır Provincial executives Kadir İnanır, Edip Binbir and Ali İhsan Karahan, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) MYK member Sevim Biçici, DBP Bağlar district executive Hayri Etyemez, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Vice Secretary General Murat Eminoğlu, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipal Assembly members Mehmet Akdoğan, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Women's Policies Department Chair Selda Baran, HDP Party Assembly members Mesut Bağcık and Burhan Karakoç, journalist Tümen Anlı, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality personnel Mustafa Akengin and Şiyar Dağ, Mahmut Korkmaz, Fevzi Işık, Fuat Yalçın, HDP Çınar members Mahmut Ulus and Fevzi Demirkıran, HDP Bismil member Lokman Bozkur, Democratic Islam Congress (DİK) member Naif Erdem, Kayapınar Co-Mayor Davut Kesen and assembly member Nurşen Akbal.

3 Metropolitan Mayors removed from office

Earlier today (August 19), the Ministry of Interior also announced that Diyarbakır Metropolitan Mayor Selçuk Mızraklı, Mardin Metropolitan Mayor Ahmet Türk and Van Metropolitan Mayor Bedia Özgökçe Ertan have been removed from office on the ground that there are ongoing investigations against them at heavy penal courts.

CLICK - Mayors of Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van Removed from Office

Diyarbakır Governor Hasan Basri Güzeloğlu, Mardin Governor Mustafa Yaman and Van Governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez have been appointed as Acting Metropolitan Mayors in these 3 provinces. (RT/TP/SD)