Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Credit: Adem Altan/AFP)
Waves of arrests have been shaking Turkey recently, taking the form of a purge against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's political opponents, particularly Kurdish political representatives. Nearly 300 "alleged members of terrorist organizations have been arrested in the last five days in an operation specifically targeting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) across Turkey," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Among them are many members of the People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), a group accused by Ankara of being the voice of the Kurdish militia classified as terrorist in Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union. At the same time, judicial pressure is intensifying against leaders in opposition-run municipalities, in an apparent attempt by the central government to weaken and divide the opposing camp ahead...
Waves of arrests have been shaking Turkey recently, taking the form of a purge against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's political opponents, particularly Kurdish political representatives. Nearly 300 "alleged members of terrorist organizations have been arrested in the last five days in an operation specifically targeting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) across Turkey," Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Among them are many members of the People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), a group accused by Ankara of being the voice of the Kurdish militia classified as terrorist in Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union. At the same time, judicial pressure is intensifying against leaders in opposition-run municipalities, in an apparent attempt by the central government to weaken and divide the opposing camp...
Rubio condemns Iran's 'outrageous' attacks on Kuwait