Protests against mass detentions across Turkey

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Over 120 people, including journalists, politicians, and lawyers, have been detained reportedly on allegations of "membership in a terrorist organization" during raids in 21 cities. There are still warrants for the arrest of many others under investigation.

The detentions have been met with protests in several cities, including İzmir, Van, Antep and Urfa, reported Mezopotamya Agency (MA), whose owner and employees are among the detainees.

Members of the groups targeted in the raids, including the Kurdish issue-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), as well as other citizens, attended the protests.

At the protest outside the courthouse in Urfa, İbrahim Halil Öyke, provincial head of the Freedom for Lawyers Association (ÖHD), said, "As the ruling power faces the reality that its regime will come to an end as May 14 [election] approaches, it has been trying to disrupt the human rights struggle."

ÖHD members in İzmir, western Turkey, also gathered outside the city's courthouse, accompanied by members of other rights groups.

HDP deputy Sıddık Taş attended the protest in Siirt, southeastern Turkey, where he claimed that the government resorted to the detentions because of the fear of losing the elections.

"We will not take a step back against these operations. We condemn these operations against our people, press, and friends," he said. (VC/VK)