Six individuals were arrested in London as part of a counter-terrorism operation targeting suspected activity linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group banned in the European Union as a terrorist organization.
The arrests took place on Wednesday morning across various locations in the city. Those detained include a 59-year-old woman, a 27-year-old man, a 31-year-old woman, a 62-year-old man, a 56-year-old man, and a 23-year-old man.
“These are targeted arrests of those we suspect of being involved in terrorist activity linked to the group,” said Helen Flanagan of the Metropolitan Police.
Authorities are also conducting searches at eight different locations in London, including the Kurdish Community Centre in Haringey, north London. Due to the ongoing investigation, the centre will be closed for two weeks.
The PKK, which has been campaigning for Kurdish self-rule in Turkey for decades, has clashed repeatedly with Turkish military forces. It is designated as a terrorist organization in both the UK and the EU. “This investigation and activity is about protecting all of our communities, but particularly those in our Turkish and Kurdish communities,” Flanagan added.
Tensions surrounding the PKK have been high, with Turkish politicians and others frequently targeted by members of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish movement over alleged connections to the group. In October, protests erupted in Istanbul following the detention of Istanbul Mayor Ahmet Ozer, accused of links to the PKK.
