KCK members arrested as illegal demonstrations continue

Mardin Police Department's counterterrorism unit detained 13 people after conducting an operation in the district of Derik of the southeastern province of Mardin on Tuesday. Suspects are accused of organizing illegal demonstrations and terrorist attacks for Nevruz on Wednesday. Police seized a rifle and many bullets from the suspects, who were allegedly involved in Molotov cocktail attacks on security units and civilians.

Furthermore, 40 people were detained in the Aegean province of İzmir on Tuesday morning for planning violent demonstrations and attacks during Nevruz. According to intelligence received by the İzmir Police Department's counterterrorism unit, detained suspects, including many women, have previously been involved in numerous terrorist attacks in many of İzmir's districts, including setting cars on fire, setting off explosives and organizing illegal demonstrations in which they attack police and disseminate propaganda.

The detained suspects, who were planning various attacks for Wednesday, were tracked by the İzmir police; the İzmir Specially Authorized Prosecutors' Office later ordered the police to detain the suspects. Counterterrorism units then raided many homes and detained 40 suspects. They seized a large number of Molotov cocktails, homemade bombs and documents belonging to the terrorist organization. İzmir police told the press that the suspects are currently being interrogated and will appear in court on Friday.

Additionally, 10 of 15 KCK suspects -- who were detained last week as a result of simultaneous operations conducted in seven provinces -- were sent to prison on Tuesday, pending trial. Following an order from the Siirt Prosecutor's Office on March 16, police conducted operations at various addresses in the provinces of Adana, Ankara, Diyarbakır, Mersin, Siirt, Uşak and Yalova. The court released five suspects and sent the remaining 10 to the Siirt E-Type Prison on Monday. The jailed suspects are accused of being members of a terrorist organization and of disseminating propaganda on behalf of a terrorist organization.

Moreover, two kilograms of A4 explosives were found in an area designated for Nevruz celebrations in the eastern province of Van on Monday. According to a written statement from the Van Governor's Office on Monday, members and sympathizers of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)/KCK are planning violent demonstrations in İstanbul and the predominantly Kurdish provinces of Van and Diyarbakır.

The investigation into the KCK, which prosecutors say is a group that controls the PKK and other affiliated groups, started in December 2009 and a large number of suspected KCK members, including several mayors from the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), have been detained.

The suspects are accused of various crimes, including membership in a terrorist organization, aiding and abetting a terrorist organization and attempting to destroy the country's unity and integrity. BDP officials say the investigation is the government's way of suppressing BDP politicians, denying any links between the suspects and any terrorist organization.