NEWS CENTER -  On the anniversary of Öcalan's being brought to Turkey with an international conspiracy, many Kurdish institutions were raided by the police while dozens were detained during the police raids.

 

Before the anniversary of PKK Leader Abdullan Öcalan's abduction from Kenya on February 15, 1999, and his handing over to Turkey, Kurdish institutions and houses of Kurdish citizens were raided in multiple cities. Scores were detained during the raids carried out by the police and the soldiers.

 

Police raided the Siirt Association for Assistance with the Families of Prisoners and Convicts (TUAY-DER) building early this morning. Materials belonging to the association were confiscated during the raid. Houses of association executives and politicians in the city were simultanoeusly raided. Siirt TUAYDER Co-chair Muhsine Özhan, association manager Necmeddin Yur, former director of the association Resul Arslan, Maşallah Arslan from the Peace Mothers Council, Taybet Tekin, Hediye Suçin, Vetha Kaçar, HDP former Central District Co-chair Emine Aşkara were detained.

 

Kanite Dayanan, a patient suffering from heart and kidney diseases was detained in the Eruh district. It was learned that the police said "Your grandmother had done something wrong. We will punish her. We will punish you if you do the same" to her grandson.

 

Citizens whose reasons for detention could not be learned were taken to Siirt Provincial Security Directorate. It was stated that more people could be detained through the day.

 

ADANA

 

Police carried out raids on multiple houses in Adana. It was stated that 14 of the 17 people who had a warrant against them were detained. The doors of the houses were broken with rams and the houses were stormed. The citizens whose reasons for detention could not be learned were taken to Adana Provincial Security Directorate. House of Artist İlyas Arzu was also raided. The police forced the people in the house to lay on the floor and pointed their guns at them. Following the search in the house, Seyfettin Arzu, brother of İlyas Arzu was detained.

 

MERSİN 

 

43 of the 52 Kurdish citizens who had a warrant against them was detained since February 12 during raids on their homes. Serkan Şahin, one of the detainees went on a hunger strike protesting their treatment under custody. It was later learned that Ramazan Yıldırım and a group of people will join him in the hunger strike protest today.

 

ŞIRNAK 

 

Scores were detained during raids on their homes in Şırnak and its districts including Mesopotamia Agency reporter Zeynep Durgut.  It was learned that Rıdvan Özmen, Doğan Şavluk, Nesim Sayın, Selahattin Ormanlı and Ziya Durmuş were detained in the house raids carried out by the special operations police in Silopi.

 

It was noted that the citizens who were detained as part of the investigation initiated by the Şırnak Chief Public Prosecutor's Office were taken to the Silopi District Police Department. Citizens whose reason for detention could not be learned are expected to be taken to Şırnak.