Arrest warrants were released about 31 people in Ankara, namely members of the Freedom and Solidarity Party (ÖDP), the Community Centres Organization (HE), the Socialist Democracy Party (SDP) and the Students Collective. As of Wednesday afternoon (15 June), 15 people were taken into custody and related operations were still continuing.

Lawyer Sevinç Hocaoğulları told bianet that raids on private homes started at 6.30 am on Wednesday morning. She announced that the decision for the searches and police custody lacked an indication of the reasons for the operations. By the time bianet talked to Hocaoğulları, the operations were still being continued. CDs, books and computers were confiscated during the searches.

Mustafa Eberliköse, Manager of the Community Centres head office, said that 15 people had been taken into police custody by Wednesday afternoon. It was reported that these people had been under technical surveillance. Reportedly, some of the people were located via their cell phones.

The people in custody are Can Türkyılmaz, Kadir Aydoğan and Çağrı Yılmaz from the Community Centres organization; Uğur Tuna, Tayfun Yıldırım, Hikmet Tanıl, Can Kaya, Eylül Şam, Pelin Bayram, Uğur Uzunpınar, Nuri Özçelik and Demet Yılan from the Students Collective; SDP members Hazan Kangal and Özge Aydın and ÖDP member Hasan Kulaksız.

Dilşat Aktaş's home raided

Also the home of Dilşat Aktaş, member of the Community Centres Central Steering Board (MYK), was searched by the police. Aktaş is in hospital right now because she got seriously wounded and suffered a broken hip bone during a police intervention against protestors in Ankara. The demonstration she had attended was related to the death of retired teacher Metin Lokumcu. Lokumcu had died as the result of a massive police intervention against protestors in Hopa (eastern Black Sea coast) on 31 May.

The police seized CDs and books from the apartment Aktaş shares with her mother. Aktaş's lawyer Ender Büyükçulha said that his client's name was on the list of people to be searched. He remarked that the police could have come to hospital to take Aktaş's statement.

The persons taken into police custody were brought to the Ankara Anti-Terror Branch (TMŞ). Lawyer Hocaoğulları said that the reason for the custody was a press release issued after the death of retired teacher Lokumcu.

A protest action against the raids and custodies was organized on Wednesday evening at 6.00 pm on Sakarya Square in Ankara.

22 people in Rize summoned to give their statements

After the death of Lokumcu, an investigation was launched on the grounds of a related press release made in Rize, a city close to Hopa. 22 people who attended the press release were summoned to the police to give their statements on 13 June.

On Tuesday (14 June), six people in Çorum (northern Anatolia) were taken into police custody in the context of this year's 1 May celebrations. The ÖDP Çorum Provincial Chair, Ulaş Koçak, was among the people in custody. They were released towards the evening on the same day.

Alleged reason for the police custody in Çorum was a banner reading "Long live 1 May, Solidarity of Students and High School Students" carried during the 1 May celebrations. (AS/ŞA/VK)