ISTANBUL: Turkish police have detained more than 800 people over alleged links to Kurdish militants in the past two days, a police source said on Tuesday, a crackdown the pro-Kurdish parliamentary party said was aimed at sidelining it ahead of a referendum.

Turks will vote on April 16 on replacing the parliamentary system with the stronger presidency sought by President Tayyip Erdogan.

The referendum will be held under a state of emergency imposed after an attempted coup last July.

Tens of thousands of people have been arrested since the abortive coup over suspected ties to Fethullah Gulen, the US-based Muslim cleric accused by Ankara of organising the putsch.

Separately 5,000 members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) have been held, the party says.

Counter-terror police over the past two days detained 834 people suspected of ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group in dawn raids across 37 provinces in Turkey, a statement from Istanbul police said.

The operations were launched because police believed the PKK leadership had instructed its militants to organise armed rebellions starting from Feb 15, the anniversary of the capture of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in Kenya in 1999.Along with the suspects, two Kalashnikovs, eleven guns, fifteen rifles and ammunition was seized, police said.

The HDP said the raids aimed to weaken it. "The basic goal of these operations is to hold the referendum without the HDP," a statement from its executive committee said. Its statement, released before Tuesday’s arrests, said more than 300 of its members and executives had been detained on Monday, bringing those held this year to around 1,200. A dozen of its lawmakers and tens of Kurdish mayors from a sister party have been jailed pending trial.

The government accuses the HDP, parliament’s second biggest opposition party, of being a political extension of the PKK. The HDP denies direct links with the PKK and says it wants a peaceful settlement in Turkey’s largely Kurdish southeast.

Turkey detains 800 over links to ‘Kurds’ was posted in World of TheNews International - https://www.thenews.com.pk on February 15, 2017 and was last updated on February 15, 2017. This news story is related to Print/186373-Turkey-detains-800-over-links-to-Kurds/ - breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. Permanent link to the news story "Turkey detains 800 over links to ‘Kurds’" is https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/186373-Turkey-detains-800-over-links-to-Kurds. </s> Turkish police have detained more than 800 people over alleged links to Kurdish militants in the past two days, a police source said on Tuesday, a crackdown the pro-Kurdish parliamentary party said was aimed at sidelining it ahead of a referendum.

Turks will vote on April 16 on replacing the parliamentary system with the stronger presidency sought by President Tayyip Erdogan. The referendum will be held under a state of emergency imposed after an attempted coup last July.

Tens of thousands of people have been arrested since the abortive coup over suspected ties to Fethullah Gulen, the US-based Muslim cleric accused by Ankara of organising the putsch. Separately 5,000 members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) have been held, the party says.

Counter-terror police over the past two days detained 834 people suspected of ties to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group in dawn raids across 37 provinces in Turkey, a statement from Istanbul police said.

The operations were launched because police believed the PKK leadership had instructed its militants to organise armed rebellions starting from February 15, the anniversary of the capture of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan in Kenya in 1999.

Along with the suspects, two Kalashnikovs, eleven guns, fifteen rifles and ammunition was seized, police said.

The HDP said the raids aimed to weaken it. “The basic goal of these operations … is to hold the referendum without the HDP,” a statement from its executive committee said.

Its statement, released before Tuesday’s arrests, said more than 300 of its members and executives had been detained on Monday, bringing those held this year to around 1,200. A dozen of its lawmakers and tens of Kurdish mayors from a sister party have been jailed pending trial.

The government accuses the HDP, parliament’s second biggest opposition party, of being a political extension of the PKK. The HDP denies direct links with the PKK and says it wants a peaceful settlement in Turkey’s largely Kurdish south-east.

The PKK designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and the United States, launched an armed insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

A ceasefire between the PKK and the state broke down in July 2015 and thousands have been killed in the conflict since then.

“We will never bow down faced with this persecution and pressure,” the HDP said. “What they are trying to prevent with the detentions and arrests is a ‘no’ (vote in the referendum).”

Ahead of the official launch of referendum campaigning this week, Erdogan has called for Turks to vote ‘yes’ to the reform by saying the PKK opposes it and that a ‘no’ vote means taking sides with those behind last year’s putsch. </s> Turkish police have detained 418 people in 29 provinces in an investigation targeting suspects with links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.

The ministry announcement on Twitter followed its earlier statement that the mayors of three major southeastern cities had been replaced by state officials in terrorism-related investigations.

The pro-Kurdish party mayors of Diyarbakir, Van and Mardin were replaced on Monday, and state governors were appointed in their place.

The mayors were accused of various crimes including membership of a terrorist organization and spreading terrorist group propaganda, Reuters said. </s> Turkish police walk in front of the Metropolitan Municipality headquarters in Diyarbakir, Turkey, August 19, 2019. REUTERS/Murad Sezer

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Turkish police have detained 418 people in 29 provinces in an investigation targeting suspects with links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.

The ministry announcement, made on Twitter, followed its earlier announcement that the mayors of three major southeastern cities had been replaced by state officials in terrorism-related investigations. </s> Turkish police have detained more than 800 people over alleged links to Kurdish fighters in nationwide operations, according to state media.

Police conducted simultaneous raids in 37 different provinces and taken 834 people into custody, state-run Anadolu Agency quoted police forces as saying on Tuesday.

Anadolu said authorities received intelligence that the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) would escalate attacks after February 15, the day marking the 1999 capture of imprisoned PKK leader, Abdullah Ocalan.

Along with the suspects, two Kalashnikovs, 11 guns, 15 rifles and ammunition were seized, police said.

The operations come as Turks prepare to vote on April 16 on replacing the parliamentary system with the stronger presidency sought by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

RELATED: Turkey passes bill to strip politicians of immunity

The referendum will be held under a state of emergency imposed after an attempted coup last July.

Tens of thousands of people have been arrested since the abortive coup over suspected ties to Fethullah Gulen, the US-based Muslim leader and businessman accused by Ankara of organising the coup.

HDP reaction

The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) said the raids aimed to weaken it.

"The basic goal of these operations ... is to hold the referendum without the HDP," a statement from its executive committee said.

Its statement, released before Tuesday's arrests, said more than 300 of its members and executives had been detained on Monday, bringing those held this year to around 1,200.

A dozen of its MPs and tens of Kurdish mayors from a sister party have been jailed pending trial.

The government accuses the HDP, parliament's second biggest opposition party, of being a political extension of the PKK.

The HDP denies direct links with the PKK and says it wants a peaceful settlement in Turkey's largely Kurdish southeast.

The PKK, designated a "terrorist" group by Turkey, the EU and the US, launched an armed struggle against the Turkish state in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.

A ceasefire between the PKK and the state broke down in July 2015 and thousands have been killed in the conflict since then. </s> ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's state-run news agency says police have detained six people in connection with a bomb attack near a police station in Istanbul that wounded 10 people.

Authorities say Thursday's attack — carried out with a bomb mounted onto a motorcycle — was the work of the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party, or PKK.

The Anadolu Agency says Friday the suspected bomber was detained overnight in the central Turkish province of Aksaray. Two other people traveling with him inside a vehicle were also detained. Police in Istanbul later detained three other suspected accomplices, the agency reported.

PKK has been waging a three-decade-long insurgency that has killed tens of thousands of people since 1984. Violence flared anew last year with the collapse of a 2½-year cease-fire. </s> Turkey has suspended 11,500 teachers over alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Worker’s Party, a Turkish official said on Thursday, confirming an earlier report from broadcaster CNN Turk that cited the education ministry.

 Prime minister Binali Yildirim visited the mainly Kurdish southeast over the weekend and said in a speech there that an estimated 14,000 teachers had links to the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organisation by Ankara, the European Union and the United States. </s> DIYARBAKIR: Turkey replaced pro-Kurdish party mayors with state officials in three southeastern cities and detained more than 400 people for suspected militant links on Monday, the Interior Ministry said, in a move likely to fuel tensions in Turkey’s southeast.

Ahead of nationwide local elections in March, President Tayyip Erdogan had warned of such a move against elected officials if they were found to have connections to the militant Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK).

The mayors in Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van, major cities in the mainly Kurdish southeast, were accused of various crimes including membership of a terrorist organisation and spreading terrorist group propaganda, the ministry statement said.

“For the health of the investigations, they have been temporarily removed from their posts as a precaution,” it said, referring to Diyarbakir Mayor Selcuk Mizrakli, Mardin Mayor Ahmet Turk and Van Mayor Bedia Ozgokce Ertan.

CNN Turk showed police sealing off the municipality headquarters in Diyarbakir with metal barriers, with water cannon vehicles and riot police deployed outside.

The Interior Ministry said on Twitter that police detained 418 people in 29 provinces in an investigation targeting suspects with links to the PKK militant group.

The removal of the mayors echoed the dismissal of dozens of mayors in 2016 over similar accusations, part of a purge that began after a failed coup. Nearly 100 mayors and thousands of party members were jailed in a crackdown that drew expressions of concern from the United States and European Union.

Ahead of the March election Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said 178 current election candidates were being investigated over alleged PKK links.

Erdogan at the time warned that pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) mayors could again be dismissed if they, like their predecessors, are deemed to have ties to militants.

Erdogan frequently accuses the HDP of links to the PKK, which is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and United States. The HDP denies such links.

The PKK launched an insurgency in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict. </s> Turkey suspends 11,500 teachers over alleged links to Kurdish militants -official

ANKARA, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Turkey has suspended 11,500 teachers over alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK), a Turkish official said on Thursday, confirming an earlier report from broadcaster CNN Turk that cited the education ministry.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim visited the mainly Kurdish southeast over the weekend and said in a speech there that an estimated 14,000 teachers had links to the PKK, which is considered a terrorist organisation by Ankara, the European Union and the United States. (Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Editing by David Dolan)
Turkish police arrest over 800 people with alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).