Turkey detains opposition leaders, journalists, and artists

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish authorities have conducted a large-scale operation, detaining opposition party members, journalists, and artists, sparking significant political reactions.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office announced that, as part of an investigation into the People's Democratic Congress (HDK), special operations were carried out in Istanbul and nine other provinces.

Dubbed "Operation Dawn," the operation led to the arrest of 52 out of 60 suspects. Among those detained are leaders of various political parties, artists, and journalists. Notably, the detainees include the Istanbul provincial head, the Güngören district president, a member of the Central Executive Board of the Green Left Party, a union president, executives, and others.

Seyit Aslan, chairman of Turkey's Labor Party, strongly criticized the events, stating:

"The pressure on democratic rights in Turkey is increasing; the one-man government, which wants to turn Turkey into an open prison, will not achieve its goals. We will not succumb to this mentality that fights against rights."

During the operation, three journalists were also detained. Specifically, Elif Akgül and Ercüment Akdeniz were taken into custody in Istanbul, while Yıldız Tar was detained in Ankara. As part of the investigation, they have been denied access to legal counsel for 24 hours. Among the detainees is also artist Pınar Aydınlar.