Turkey: HDP provincial head detained on terror charge

ZONGULDAK, Turkey

A provincial co-chair of Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Turkey was detained by gendarmes Wednesday for allegedly spreading propaganda for the PKK terrorist organization.

Gendarme sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking with the media, told Anadolu Agency that Mehmet Zeki Salmanoglu was detained in his home in the Black Sea province of Zonguldak for spreading PKK/KCK terrorist organization propaganda.

Additionally, gendarmes seized a large amount of organization documents and two unlicensed rifles in another house belonging to Salmanoglu.

Salmanoglu was brought to the courthouse under security measures.

Last month, 13 lawmakers from the Peoples’ Democratic Party were arrested, and 10, including co-chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, remain in custody awaiting trial on terrorism-related charges.

The PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU – resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July last year. Since then, more than 300 civilians and nearly 800 security personnel have been martyred. Around 8,000 PKK terrorists have been killed or apprehended.

Reporting by Ferdi Akilli and Selim Bostanci;Writing by Can Erozden