As part of a large-scale operation against the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Turkish authorities have detained 282 people on charges of financing the organization, recruiting new members, spreading propaganda, and participating in violent protests.
According to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, the raids took place across 51 provinces. During the searches, police seized two AK-47 rifles and other weapons. The PKK, which has waged an armed insurgency against Turkish authorities for decades, is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
The detentions come amid ongoing efforts to revive peace talks between Ankara and the Kurdish group. The discussions are expected to include a potential call for disarmament by the group’s imprisoned leader, Abdullah Öcalan.
In recent months, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s administration has intensified its crackdown on groups suspected of links to the PKK, arresting political representatives and removing some elected Kurdish mayors from office, replacing them with government-appointed officials.
The latest such action occurred last Saturday when Turkish authorities dismissed the mayor of Van, a city in eastern Turkey, replacing him with a state-appointed governor.
