Istanbul, April 25, (dpa/GNA) – The Turkish authorities have detained more than 100 people on alleged terrorism ties, including pro-Kurdish opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) officials, the state news agency Anadolu and HDP said on Tuesday.
The detentions come less than three weeks before Turkey is due to hold critical presidential and parliamentary elections.
Recent polls suggest a tight race between incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the main opposition leader, Kemal Kiliçdaroglu. Pro-Kurdish voters will play a pivotal role in the vote, polls say.
In police raids across 21 cities and provinces, a total of 110 people were detained over alleged ties to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Anadolu reported.
Prosecutors in the south-eastern city of Diyarbakir accuse the suspects of providing financial support to the PKK and creating terror propaganda, among others.
Those detained include HDP co-deputy chair Özlem Gündüz and other party members, an HDP spokesperson told dpa.
Among those targeted are also lawyers, rights advocates and journalists, Diyarbakir bar association said in a statement on Twitter.
The bar demanded their release, calling the raids “unlawful.”
The HDP is the second-largest opposition party in parliament and is defending itself against a court case demanding its closure.
Erdogan accuses the HDP of being an extension of the PKK, which is banned in Turkey, the EU and the US.
The HDP rejects the allegation.
GNA