20 people in Batman in the pre-dominantly Kurdish region of south-eastern Turkey were taken into police custody in the course of raids on their homes. The operations were carried out simultaneously in the beginning of this week. Members of the Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) Party Assembly and the BDP Batman Provincial Deputy Chairman, Mizbeh Ok, are among the people in custody, as reported on 15 June.

The people in custody were brought to the Provincial Police Directorate. The reason for the operation was not announced. Independent MPs Bengi Yıldız and Ayla Akat Ata of the Labour, Democracy and Freedom Block went to the Batman courthouse to talk to the prosecutor.

Trial on Turkish-Kurdish signboard

Meanwhile, a bilingual signboard in both Turkish and Kurdish installed on the BDP building in the district of Doğubayazıt (Ağrı) became the subject of a court case. The signboard was part of the "bilingual life" campaign launched by the BDP in co-operation with the Democratic Society Congress (DTK).

An investigation was launched about the signboard that was put up by the BDP Doğubayazıt District Organization. After that, the Doğubayazıt Public Chief Prosecution submitted the indictment to the Doğubayazıt High Criminal Court, it was announced.

According to the Dicle News Agency (DİHA), the indictment claims a "breach of the Political Parties Law constituted by the signboard in Kurdish". The indictment seeks prison terms of between six months and 20 years for former BDP District Co-Chairs Dalha Kaya and Sümeyra Salaz Demir and district executives Mustafa Özer, Talat Aktaş, Halit Oral, İbrahim Kaya and Nilüfer Kaya. (ÇT/ŞA/VK)