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Turkey: 235 people arrested over 'Kurdish militant propaganda', Turkish Interior Ministry says | Turkey: 235 people arrested over 'Kurdish militant propaganda', Turkish Interior Ministry says |
(35 minutes later) | |
At least 235 people have been arrested across Turkey on terror charges, following a bomb attack near Istanbul stadium, according to the Interior Ministry. | |
Officials from the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) were arrested on suspicion of belonging to or producing propaganda for the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) – an organisation that is outlawed in Turkey. | |
HDP’s Ankara chief, Ibrahim Binici, and the party’s head in Istanbul, Aysel Guzel, were among those arrested, according to state news agency Anadolu. | HDP’s Ankara chief, Ibrahim Binici, and the party’s head in Istanbul, Aysel Guzel, were among those arrested, according to state news agency Anadolu. |
The news comes after two blasts killed 44 people in Istanbul. | The news comes after two blasts killed 44 people in Istanbul. |
The attacks took place near the Vodafone Arena, home to Istanbul's Besiktas soccer team, two hours after a match. The first blast was a bomb outside the stadium, followed within a minute by a suicide bomb attack in a nearby park. | |
Health Minister Recep Akdag said most of the people killed were policemen. | Health Minister Recep Akdag said most of the people killed were policemen. |
"It is very painful that we lost 36 of our police officers and eight civilians in a bloody attack," he said, Dogan News Agency reported. | "It is very painful that we lost 36 of our police officers and eight civilians in a bloody attack," he said, Dogan News Agency reported. |
The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a radical offshoot of the PKK, took responsibility for the attacks. | The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK), a radical offshoot of the PKK, took responsibility for the attacks. |
TAK is considered a terrorist organisation by Ankara, Brussels and Washington and the group has been waging an insurgency against Turkey since 1984. | TAK is considered a terrorist organisation by Ankara, Brussels and Washington and the group has been waging an insurgency against Turkey since 1984. |
Since the collapse of a ceasefire last year, Turkish prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, vowed to “wipe out” the PKK. | Since the collapse of a ceasefire last year, Turkish prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, vowed to “wipe out” the PKK. |