Tue Feb 18 08:38:53 UTC 2025: ## Turkey Arrests Hundreds in PKK Crackdown Amidst Peace Hopes

**Istanbul, February 18, 2025** – Turkish authorities have detained 282 individuals in a sweeping anti-terrorism operation targeting alleged members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced Tuesday. The five-day crackdown, spanning 51 provinces, included the arrest of journalists, politicians, academics, and a prominent LGBTQ rights activist. Among those detained are members of the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) and smaller leftist parties.

The arrests come amidst ongoing efforts to resolve the four-decade-long conflict between the Turkish government and the PKK, a group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies. This latest wave of detentions coincides with hopes for a negotiated settlement, fueled by expectations of a statement from jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. Four months ago, an ally of President Tayyip Erdogan urged Ocalan to call for the militants to disarm.

The crackdown also includes the removal of elected pro-Kurdish mayors. On Saturday, a DEM Party mayor in Van province was dismissed, bringing the total number of dismissed DEM mayors to eight since the 2024 elections. The government cites terrorism-related convictions as the reason for these dismissals.

Authorities seized weapons, including two AK-47 rifles, during the raids. The detained individuals are accused of various offenses, including PKK propaganda, financing the group, recruitment, and participation in street protests. The Journalists’ Union of Turkey condemned the detention of three journalists, criticizing the use of house raids instead of summons. The conflict between the PKK and the Turkish state has claimed over 40,000 lives since 1984.

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