Ministry of Interior: 718 people detained in 40 provinces

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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The Ministry of Interior has announced that hundreds of people have been taken into custody as part of "terror operations" in 40 provinces.

In a written statement released by the Interior Ministry, it has been indicated that 718 people have been taken into custody. The provincial and district chairs of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) are also among the detained, according to the statement of the ministry.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA) in the early morning hours today (February 15), at least 44 people, including HDP members and executives, have been taken into custody in house raids in the provinces of Şırnak, Ağrı, Urfa, Van, Mardin, Siirt and Elazığ.

CLICK - HDP: 143 people detained in two days

13 people detained in Ağrı

In house raids carried out in Doğubayazıt district in Turkey's eastern province of Ağrı, 13 people have been detained. Among the detained are HDP Party Assembly member Talha Kaya, Doğubayazıt District Organization executive Ahmet Yaşmiş, Association for Solidarity With Families of Arrestees and Convicts (TUHAY-DER) representative Cemil Koç and Doğubayazıt Municipal Council member Rahim Gören.

The detained have been taken to the district police station.

3 people detained in Diyarbakır

In Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Diyarbakır, a citizen named Mikail Yaman has been taken into custody for "financing the organization" because he sent money to his elder brother İbrahim Halil Yaman, the Ergani District Co-Chair, while he was arrested. Yaman has been sent to the Kayapınar Gendarmerie Station.

In other house raids in the city, Aynur Bilgiç and Şiyar Akpolat have been detained. They have been taken to Diyarbakır Security Directorate.

10 people detained in Şırnak

In house raids conducted in Şırnak city center and in the districts of Cizre, İdil and Uludere, HDP executive Agit Yiğit, Fatma Acet, Fırat Akyol, Cami Bilik, Nihat Küçük, Mahsum Kurami, Serhat Çatuk, Mustafa Dal, Ömer Karaviş and Abdullah Yaman have been taken into custody.

While the detained persons are held in security directorates, the number of detentions in the city is expected to increase.

HDP provincial co-chair in detention

HDP Karakoçan District Co-Chair Veysi Sarıtağ has been detained in Elazığ province. While the reason for his detention is yet unknown, he has reportedly been taken to the Elazığ Security Directorate.

Suruç

A citizen named Abdi Binici has been detained in Suruç district in Urfa province. He has been taken to the district security directorate.

28 people detained in Van

HDP's former Van Co-Chair Ökkeş Kava has been detained in a house raid. While the reason for his detention has also not yet been reported, he is currently held in the Provincial Security Directorate.

With the detention of Ökkeş Kava, the number of detentions in the eastern city over the past two days has increased to 28. The detained are still restricted from meeting their attorneys.

Manisa

In house raids conducted in the early morning hours in Manisa, seven members of the HDP Youth Assembly have been detained. Police have reportedly seized several digital materials during the raids.

Held in the Manisa Provincial Security Directorate, the following people have been detained: Zahir Aslan, Aleyna Tekin, Mahsun Silinsin, Hamza Aslan, Ahmet Aslan, Sultan Aslan and Niyazi Mehmet Ali Polat.

Nusaybin (Mardin)

In Turkey's southeastern province of Mardin, four people have been taken into custody in house raids in Nusaybin district in the early morning hours. While the reason for their detention has not yet been known, they have been taken to the district security directorate.

Siirt

HDP's Municipal Council members Hasret Aslan and Haydar Çağli have been detained in eastern province of Siirt.

Abdulgaffur Kubulay, Mehmet Kaysi and a woman named Esmer have been detained in house raids in Kurtalan district and a person named Devran has been detained in Baykan district.

While there is also a detention warrant against Siirt Municipal Council member Emin Çeçek, he could not be found at his house. (RT/SD)