Turkish police have detained 418 people suspected of having links to the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), the Interior Ministry announced on Monday, Euronews reports.
The arrests were made in 29 provinces and “operations are ongoing,” the ministry added.
Diyarbakır, Mardin ve Van illeri başta olmak üzere toplam 2️⃣9️⃣ ilde PKK/KCK Terör Örgütüne yönelik 4️⃣1️⃣8️⃣ şahıs yakalanarak gözaltına alındı.
Yakalamaya dönük operasyonlar devam etmektedir.
❗Kamuoyuna saygıyla duyurulur.
— T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı (@TC_icisleri) 19 августа 2019 г.
Earlier in the morning, the government had also announced that the mayors of Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van — cities in the southeast of the country — had been dismissed and replaced by state officials.
They are accused of “trying to use militant resources, financial resources, tools and equipment and logistics centres to support terrorist activities.”
“In fact, they tried to make these municipalities part of a separate administration from other regions in our country,” the government said.
The Turkish government considers the PKK to be a terrorist organisation and has stepped up its campaign against the in recent years after a ceasefire agreement broke down in 2015.
The PKK says they are fighting for an independent Kurdish state.