Police Raid of DTP Mayor Şahin's Home

After an according statement of a detained person the police searched DTP Mayor Edibe Şahin's home in Tunceli for PKK documents. Some people were arrested during another raid of the Municipality guesthouse. Hundreds of DTP members protested.

Bawer Çakır

The police conducted a raid of Democratic Society Party (DTP) Mayor Edibe Şahin's home and the municipality's guesthouse in the New Municipality office block in the Moğultay quarter of the city of Tunceli in the east of Turkey.

The raid was done on the grounds of "distributing a PKK statement" after detained P.K. had made a statement respectively. According to Radikal newspaper, P.K. is being interrogated by the Provincial Chief of Police. P.K. had stated that documents belonging to the militant Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) were stored in Şahin's house and that members of the PKK were accommodated in the guesthouse. Due to these allegations the police effected an authorization from the prosecutor's office for the raid of Şahin's home and the guesthouse. Some people were arrested.

Members of DTP protested the raid

The raid happened on the evening of 29 September. About 300 people gathered today at the Place of the Republic ('Cumhuriyet Meydanı) to protest against the raids and the arrests. Members of the pro-Kurdish DTP criticized the attitude of the police.

After another raid of homes and offices in Tunceli in the night of 22 June this year 30 DTP members had been arrested. (BÇ/VK)