HDP officials among 11 arrested in Istanbul over PKK links

ISTANBUL – Anadolu Agency

DHA Photo

An Istanbul court arrested 11 people, including officials from the Kurdish problem-focused Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), suspected of financially supporting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on Jan. 25.

The suspects were detained, alongside 20 others, during an operation conducted by the Istanbul Police Department’s anti-terror branch on Jan. 21, when 36 addresses in 22 districts across the city were raided. 

A total of 28 suspects accused of providing financial support to the PKK were sent to court after providing their testimonies, 17 of whom were released by the court pending a trial. 

However, the 11 others, including HDP officials, were arrested by an Istanbul criminal court of peace. 

The arrested suspects included Zeki Çelik, a member of the HDP’s central executive committee and the party’s accountant, as well as some of the party’s district officials. Information regarding the individuals’ identities was not disclosed.