This is the office lawyers of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan are affiliated to.
It is understood that hundreds of policemen are in the building since earlier this morning and the road around the office has been closed until 2pm.
It is also understood that searches are going on in several other buildings in different cities. Indeed there are reports of some 70 people taken into custody. Of these, at least 48 are said to be lawyers.
Kurdish daily Özgür Gündem was also targeted by police this morning.
BDP former executive lawyer Hüseyin Çalisçi has been taken into custody. In Bursa, following a search at her house, Öcalan lawyer Ayse Batumlu is said to have been taken into custody.
Police operations are carried in the context of the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK).
While details are coming through it seemed that raids have been carried out simultaneously in 16 provinces, including Istanbul, Sanliurfa, Izmir, Bursa, Mus, Van, Batman, Kars, Denizli and Diyarbakir.
Among the people taken into custody are: BDP Diyarbakir co-chair Ömer Ömer, Baglar council deputy mayor Derya Tamris, Councillors Kadri Gökdemir, lawyers Baran Pamuk, Fuat Cosacak, Nuri Çelik, Mehmet Nuri Deniz, Baglar BDP chair Ali Yüce, and Fatma Kizilkaya, Safi Hayme. (ANF, 22 November 2011)
