Once again Ankara is trying to use police to achieve the goals that could not be secured through the ballot box. Only two weeks after DTP's (Democratic Society Party) overwhelming victory in local elections, the Turkish police have arrested dozens of Kurds all across Turkey, mainly DTP members and officials, accused of belonging to the PKK, the Kurdish pro-independence guerrilla.

Between 50 and 70 people have been arrested, and hundreds of private homes and offices have been searched in Northern Kurdistan, Ankara and Istanbul. Among the arrested there are DTP high officers (three vice-presidents and Diyarbakir first deputy mayor), a defense lawyer of Abdullah Ocalan, the Kurdish leader imprisoned since 1999, and the editor in chief of the private television Gün TV. Other arrested are DTP party members and Kurdish activists.

The Turkish newspaper Today's Zaman quotes DTP spokesman Ahmet Türk as saying that Turkey is "trying to push away DTP from the democratic struggle". He further added that arrests are nothing but a "provocation". According to the newspaper, the police raids could be the result of DTP's call on the state to recognize the PKK as a "valid counterpart in the talks to find a solution for the Kurdish question".

Only yesterday several media published a PKK press statement in which the armed organization announced a cease fire until next June and reaffirmed its will to give way to a peace process.

Picture: Co-spokeswoman for DTP, Emine Ayna, criticizing the arrests in a press conference (Diha).

Further information:

• Kurdish Info: Fayik Yagizay: Dangerous operation against DTP!
  
• Bianet: DTP Protests: AKP Seeking Revenge for Election Results
  
• Hurriyet: Turkish police detain 46, including party officials, in raids on PKK

See the dossier Peoples and nations today: Kurdistan for further information