The first reaction to today’s operation and the arrest of some 100 people, came from BDP Co-chair Selahattin Demirtas who remarked that they targeted the "channel" between Asrin Law Office (the office of Kurdish leader Öcalan’s lawyers) and Imrali where Öcalan is held since 1999.
Noting that earlier statements by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ministers had actually given the message that these operations would continue, Demirtas said the operation was an “apparent murdering of law”. Calling on the Kurdish people not to remain silent against this operation which will fail in making the Kurds step back, Demirtas said that “These operations are the AKP’s final struggle. AKP is arresting innocent, unarmed people in a frantic way. The current situation in Turkey is actually much worse than Syria and Egypt where people are rising. The prime minister – added the BDP co-chair – warned Al-Assad that he can’t stay in power with tanks and guns while he himself is doing the same. His warnings to Assad are true for him as well. From a political point of view, the AKP is bringing itself to a dead end with these operations.”
It is notable that the operations against lawyers came after a statement Erdogan made last month saying that “Lawyers of Öcalan are affiliated to Asrin Law Office which always alternates its lawyers. Lawyers visiting Imrali are in some way providing a contact between Qandil and Imrali. It is in order to break this link that meetings in Imrali are not granted.”
In the meantime, simultaneous police operations and searches continue in 16 cities. The number of detainees, including journalists, is reported to be around 100 so far. Searches in Asrin Law Office and central offices of Özgür Gündem paper and Demokratik Modernite magazine are reported to continue.
ANF / NEWS DESK
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