Turkish police on Sunday detained eight people including pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and Democratic Regions Party (DBP) provincial co-chairpersons in the southeastern province of Tunceli, the Doğan news agency has reported.
According to a statement from the Tunceli Governor’s Office, eight people were detained as part of an investigation into a protest against the closing down of shops held in the city on Oct. 21.
Dozens of HDP and DBP mayors, representatives and members have been detained or arrested as part of operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) following a failed coup attempt on July 15.
Turkish authorities had conducted direct talks with jailed PKK chief Abdullah Öcalan for several years until a truce in effect collapsed in the summer of 2015. Since then, there have been heavy clashes between the PKK and Turkish security forces.
More than 40,000 people, including 5,500 security force members, have been killed in four decades of fighting between the Turkish state and the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and the EU.