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| Turkey arrests pro-Kurdish party leaders amid claims of internet shutdown | Turkey arrests pro-Kurdish party leaders amid claims of internet shutdown |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| The two joint leaders of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP) have been detained along with at least 10 MPs because of their reluctance to give testimony for crimes linked to “terrorist propaganda”. | The two joint leaders of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP) have been detained along with at least 10 MPs because of their reluctance to give testimony for crimes linked to “terrorist propaganda”. |
| Turkish police raided the Ankara home of co-leader Selahattin Demirtaş and the house of co-leader Figen Yüksekdağ in Diyarbakır, the largest city in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish south-east, early on Friday. | |
| Demirtaş – a charismatic leader known as the “Kurdish Obama” by some admirers – and Yüksekdağ had been targeted by several separate investigations over the last months but this is the first time that either has been detained. | |
| At least 10 other HDP parliamentarians were also detained, lawyers said, in a major escalation of the government’s crackdown on its opponents in the wake of the failed coup on 15 July. Raids also took place in the south-eastern cities of Van and Bingöl. | |
| A widespread difficulty in reaching social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook as well as messaging app WhatsApp was also reported across Turkey after the detentions started at midnight. | A widespread difficulty in reaching social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook as well as messaging app WhatsApp was also reported across Turkey after the detentions started at midnight. |
| Update: WhatsApp messaging service block in #Turkey confirmed, joining Twitter, Facebook and YouTube shutdownshttps://t.co/XA9JZaxn54 pic.twitter.com/XNusUu2rgW | Update: WhatsApp messaging service block in #Turkey confirmed, joining Twitter, Facebook and YouTube shutdownshttps://t.co/XA9JZaxn54 pic.twitter.com/XNusUu2rgW |
| Big things happening in #Turkey - internet totally off in southeast & HDP officials being detained.+ Rumor of imminent invasion of #Iraq. | Big things happening in #Turkey - internet totally off in southeast & HDP officials being detained.+ Rumor of imminent invasion of #Iraq. |
| Hours after the detentions began a car bomb in Diyarbakır killed at least one person and injured 30 in a powerful explosion outside a police building that Turkish authorities blamed on Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants. | |
| The Turkish justice minister, Bekir Bozdağ, said on Friday that the detention of the HDP MPs was in line with the law in comments broadcast on state television. | The Turkish justice minister, Bekir Bozdağ, said on Friday that the detention of the HDP MPs was in line with the law in comments broadcast on state television. |
| Others detained included the prominent MP, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who in the past has been a pointman for contacts with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. The head of the HDP’s delegation in the Turkish parliament, İdris Baluken, was also held. | Others detained included the prominent MP, Sırrı Süreyya Önder, who in the past has been a pointman for contacts with jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan. The head of the HDP’s delegation in the Turkish parliament, İdris Baluken, was also held. |
| HDP is the third largest party in the 550-seat Turkish parliament, with 59 seats. Parliamentarians in Turkey normally enjoy immunity from prosecution, but the pro-Kurdish party’s immunity was lifted this year. | HDP is the third largest party in the 550-seat Turkish parliament, with 59 seats. Parliamentarians in Turkey normally enjoy immunity from prosecution, but the pro-Kurdish party’s immunity was lifted this year. |
| Turkey accuses the HDP of links to the PKK, which is deemed a terrorist organisation by the US, the EU and Turkey. | Turkey accuses the HDP of links to the PKK, which is deemed a terrorist organisation by the US, the EU and Turkey. |
| Police also raided and searched the party’s head office in central Ankara. Television images showed party officials quarreling with police during the raid, and a witness said many police cars and armed vehicles had closed the entrances to the street of the HDP headquarters. | Police also raided and searched the party’s head office in central Ankara. Television images showed party officials quarreling with police during the raid, and a witness said many police cars and armed vehicles had closed the entrances to the street of the HDP headquarters. |
| “HDP call international community to react against Erdoğan regime’s coup,” the party said on Twitter, referring to president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. | “HDP call international community to react against Erdoğan regime’s coup,” the party said on Twitter, referring to president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. |
| A group of protesters chanting slogans tried to reach the party offices, but were stopped by police before they could enter the street, a witness said. | A group of protesters chanting slogans tried to reach the party offices, but were stopped by police before they could enter the street, a witness said. |
| VIDEO: Police attack HDP co-char Yuksekdag's advisors to prevent them from filming the raid on her house. pic.twitter.com/55DR3kEDH5 | VIDEO: Police attack HDP co-char Yuksekdag's advisors to prevent them from filming the raid on her house. pic.twitter.com/55DR3kEDH5 |
| “Very bad news from Turkey. Again. Now HDP members of parliament are being detained,” European parliament’s Turkey rapporteur, Kati Piri, said on Twitter. | “Very bad news from Turkey. Again. Now HDP members of parliament are being detained,” European parliament’s Turkey rapporteur, Kati Piri, said on Twitter. |
| The raids come as Turkey remains under a state of emergency imposed after the coup, which critics say has gone well beyond targeting the plotters. | The raids come as Turkey remains under a state of emergency imposed after the coup, which critics say has gone well beyond targeting the plotters. |
| Thirteen staff from the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper, including the editor-in-chief, were detained on Monday, further heightening strains in Turkish society. | Thirteen staff from the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper, including the editor-in-chief, were detained on Monday, further heightening strains in Turkish society. |
| Tensions have surged in the Kurdish-dominated south-east of Turkey since a fragile ceasefire declared by the PKK collapsed in 2015. The HDP seeks to promote the cause of Turkey’s Kurdish minority and defend the rights of Kurds as well as those of women, gays and workers. | Tensions have surged in the Kurdish-dominated south-east of Turkey since a fragile ceasefire declared by the PKK collapsed in 2015. The HDP seeks to promote the cause of Turkey’s Kurdish minority and defend the rights of Kurds as well as those of women, gays and workers. |
| But the authorities accuse the party of being a front for the PKK and failing to distance itself from terror, claims it has always vehemently denied. | But the authorities accuse the party of being a front for the PKK and failing to distance itself from terror, claims it has always vehemently denied. |
| Erdoğan has launched repeated personal attacks on Demirtaş, who analysts have seen as the sole politician in Turkey who comes anywhere near to rivalling his charisma. | Erdoğan has launched repeated personal attacks on Demirtaş, who analysts have seen as the sole politician in Turkey who comes anywhere near to rivalling his charisma. |
| Demirtaş has made it a personal crusade to oppose Erdoğan’s plan for a presidential system in Turkey, which the HDP says would lead to dictatorship. | Demirtaş has made it a personal crusade to oppose Erdoğan’s plan for a presidential system in Turkey, which the HDP says would lead to dictatorship. |
| Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report. | Reuters and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report. |