Turkey detains 282 in operation against PKK

Ankara: Turkish police have detained 282 suspects in the past five days in a large-scale operation targeting the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Tuesday.

The suspects were detained across 51 provinces, the minister said on the X social media platform. The detentions came despite renewed efforts between Ankara and the PKK to resolve a conflict that has claimed tens of thousands of lives. These efforts are expected to include a call by the PKK’s imprisoned leader, Abdullah Ocalan, for his group to lay down arms.

Yerlikaya said those detained are suspected of providing financial support to the PKK, recruiting members, engaging in propaganda and participating in violent street protests. Police seized two AK-47 assault rifles and other weapons during the raids, the minister said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has widened a crackdown on the opposition in recent months, arresting

journalists. Agencies