NEWS CENTER - police detained at least 16 people during house raids against HDP and civil society organisations in four cities. At least 58 people have been detained in the last 24 hours.

 

New house raids took place in the morning. In Ankara, executives and members of the People's Democratic Party (HDP), the Human Rights Association (IHD), the Health and Social Workers (SES) were targeted. 11 people were taken into custody. The grounds for detention were not disclosed.

 

The people taken into custody in Ankara have been named as follows: IHD Ankara Branch co-chair Fatin Kanat, SES executives Fikret Calagan and Belkis Yurtsever, HDP council member Bereket Kar, HDP members Mazhar Yerlikaya, Sehriban Basak, Ethem Ozgan, Sabahattin Karli, Kemal Akalin, Ziya Cebeci .

 

Former Adıyaman HDP deputy, Behçet Yıldırım, was also detained following a raid on his house. The reason for his detention is unknown.

 

Dicle News Agency (DIHA) reporter Hacı Yusuf Topaloğlu was targeted by police in Kahta, Adıyaman. Topaloğlu was taken into custody without being told the reason for his arrest and it is understood that he had a gun pointed at his head, while police reportedly ransacked his house. DIHA was closed by Decree Law (KHK).

 

Irfan Erdem, father of two children, was detained following a house raid in the neighborough of Şırnak in Viranşehir, Urfa. Erdem was accused of making propaganda for an illegal organization on the grounds of social media posts.

 

At least 58 people detained in 24 hours

 

A new wave of arrests is being carried out. At least 58 people were detained in the last 24 hours. Two HDP members in Muş, 20 Kurdish youths in Van, 20 HDP members in Kocaeli and Mesopotamia Agency reporter Mehmet Fırat were taken into custody on Tuesday. On the same day, Berivan Altan, a journalist for the Mesopotamia Agency was also detained in Ankara.

 

Futhermore on Tuesday, HDP co-mayors of Derik, Mazıdağı and Savur municipalities were remanded in custody after being dismissed from office and replaced by trustees.