HDP: At Least 99 People Detained

* Photo: HDP Central Office

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Ayşe Acar Başaran, the Spokesperson for the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Law and Human Rights Commission, has made a statement about the operations targeting HDP members in several provinces.

Başaran has announced that though the exact number is not yet certain, at least 99 people have been detained in the provinces of Diyarbakır, Ankara, Dersim, Mardin, Van, Mersin, Kocaeli, Muş, Ağrı and İstanbul.

In a written statement released by Acar Başaran, it has been indicated that seven people in total have been detained in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır, including HDP Diyarbakır Provincial executive İrfan Söner, Bağlar District Co-Chair Mehmet Atlıhan, Yenişehir District Co-Chair Sadrettin Kaya, Bağlar District executive Abdullah Dengiz and Bağlar Municipality former municipal council member Rıfat Turfan.

According to the statement of the MP, while 10 people, the majority of whom are university students, have been detained in Dersim, six people have been detained in the capital city of Ankara. Moreover, 14 people, including four children, have been taken into custody in Mersin and Mezopotamya Agency reporter Yunus Duman has been detained in Van.

Kubilay: We condemn the detentions

In his weekly press briefing held in HDP Central Office earlier today (February 14), HDP Spokesperson Günay Kubilay also said:

"We have learnt that our several friends have been taken into custody in Dersim, Kocaeli, Diyarbakır, Ankara, Muş and Ağrı. Among the detained are predominantly our provincial and district executives as well as journalists and university students. We fiercely condemn these arbitrary and unlawful detentions. We are making this call to the government: Take your violent hands off the HDP and release our friends immediately." (RT/SD)