Seven teachers who were among 24 suspended from their jobs in early September and detained last week over links to the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) were arrested by a court in Diyarbakır on Sunday.
Twenty-four teachers who are members of the Education and Science Workers’ Union were detained on Sept. 21 after the Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor’s Office demanded their detention at the Diyarbakır Penal Court of Peace over alleged links to the PKK. While seven teachers were arrested, 17 others were released pending trial under judicial supervision.
Early on Saturday Turkish police dispersed a group of around 50 teachers who were staging a protest in Diyarbakır against the Turkish government’s recent suspension of 11,285 teachers over alleged links with the terrorist PKK. Teachers, blowing whistles and holding placards, gathered in the main avenue of Diyarbakır’s Kayapınar district early on Saturday. Riot police used teargas to disperse the participants as they attempted to march along the main street of the district.
On Sept 8 the Turkish Education Ministry suspended 11,285 teachers for allegedly supporting the PKK. It is also reported that the number of teachers suspended is expected to rise to 14,000 after an investigation is completed with contributions from local governors’ offices.