More than 150 politicians and activists have gone on trial in Turkey, accused of having links to Kurdish rebels.

A dozen elected mayors are among those charged in a case that puts an EU-inspired drive to broaden Kurdish rights to the test.

Tight security is surrounding the hearing in the mainly Kurdish southeast’s biggest city Diyarbakir whose own mayor is among the defendants.

Ankara has vowed to address the grievances of Kurds, but Turkey has also cracked down on Kurdish groups.

As demonstrators gathered to support the suspects, Brussels is said to be monitoring the trial. Next month the European Commission will release a report on Turkey’s progress towards meeting EU membership criteria, Euronews reported.