The Confederation of Trade Unions of Public Employees (KESK) in Ankara and affiliated unions are being searched on Monday morning (13 February) in the context of yet another operation related to the Union of Kurdish Communities (KCK). Many homes were raided in Istanbul, Muş, Van, Diyarbakır, Izmir, Batman, Adana and Gaziantep. About one hundred people have been taken into police custody.

bianet talked to Lami Özgen, Chairman of KESK. He had information about crackdowns on the homes of women executives of several work branches such as the Municipal and Local Authority Trade Union (Tüm Bel-Sen), the Office Workers Union (BES) or the Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim-Sen). The women executives were taken into custody, he said.

"Operation related to activities on 8 March"

According to Özgen, the offices of some women secretaries at the unions were included in the search warrant. Apparently, the search was still being continued when he talked to bianet on Monday morning but he had not been informed about the reason for the search yet.

Özgen stated that intimidating and repressive policies have been applied to KESK for a long time. In his opinion, these searches are aimed at obstructing activities related to the International Women's Day on 8 March. Also Canan Çalağan, member of the KESK Central Steering Board and Women Secretary, was taken into custody. The definite number of people taken into police custody has not been announced yet.

Deputy Mayor of Van in custody too

İsmet Mikailoğulları, Diyarbakır reporter for the Dicle News Agency (DİHA), was taken into custody during a crackdown on his home.

Van Deputy Mayor Gülbahar Orhan was taken into police custody as well in the course of a raid on his home. (NV)