State news agency says more than 30 detained in Turkish police raids against Kurdish rebels
By APThursday, December 24, 2009
Report: more than 30 Kurds detained in Turkey
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s state-run news agency says police have detained more than 30 people, including several Kurdish mayors, in a nationwide crackdown against Kurdish rebels.
The Anatolia agency says police conducted simultaneous raids in 11 cities on Thursday in an operation against people suspected of links to a political wing of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK.
Anatolia says those detained include at least seven mayors, a prominent local politician and two human-rights activists.
The raid comes two weeks after Turkey’s highest court closed down a pro-Kurdish political party on charges of ties to the rebels.
The PKK has been fighting for autonomy since 1984. More than 40 people were detained in a similar sweep in April.
