Eight taken into custody in Şırnak

At least eight people were taken into custody during house raids in the Kurdish province of Şirnak on Saturday. The raids took place early this morning in Cizre and Silopi districts. Those arrested were taken to the police headquarters in the two districts. The detainees known by name are Berivan Sünmez, Nürettin Üçkaç, Muhammet Şevişoğlu and Mehmet Bilgeç.

The apartment of Nergiz Aşkın, the chairwoman of the HDP district association, was also raided by the police. A manhunt is underway for her son Zekeriya Aşkın, who was not at home at the time of the raid. It is understood that the number of arrests may increase. It is not known what the people involved are accused of.

On Friday, more than a hundred people were detained in four cities as part of the political repression. In Amed (tr. Diyarbakır) alone, 59 people were taken into custody. In total, Turkish police searched 104 homes at the instigation of the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. The operation was directed against media representatives, politicians and activists.