Three weeks before the presidential elections in Turkey, a total of 110 people have been arrested in 21 Turkish provinces for alleged terrorist connections. The operation on Tuesday, which took place in the mainly Kurdish province of Diyarbakir, was an “anti-terrorist operation”, according to police sources.
According to the Diyarbakir Bar Association, the number of those arrested “could rise to 150”. Among them are “at least 20 lawyers, five journalists, three theater actors and one politician”. The President of the Bar Association, Nahit Eren, described the raids as an “attempt to intimidate Kurdish voters”.
According to a report by the state television station TRT, the police suspect those arrested of having financed and recruited new members for the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is banned by Turkey and many other Western countries. The suspects are said to have sent money to the PKK through communities managed by the pro-Kurdish party HDP. The HDP is the second largest opposition party in parliament. She is seen as the kingmaker in the tight battle for the presidency.
In March, the HDP announced that it would not have its own presidential candidate for the May 14 election. This decision is seen as tacit support for incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s secular challenger, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu.
For Erdogan and his party, the upcoming vote is a fateful choice. According to polls, it could be very close for the incumbent. According to some forecasts, Kiliçdaroglu, as the opposition alliance’s candidate, could emerge victorious in a runoff election. (AFP)
