At least 110 people were arrested in Turkey today as part of a wide-ranging “anti-terrorist” operation targeting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), security sources said.

The operation was carried out in 21 provinces of Turkey, including Diyarbakır, in the southeastern part of the country, where the majority of residents are Kurdish.

The operation, which targeted people accused of links to the outlawed PKK, came less than three weeks before Turkey’s presidential and parliamentary elections, which represent the biggest electoral challenge President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has faced since then. which the Justice and Development Party (AKP) came to power in 2002.

The opposition is coming down with a six-party united front, which has nominated a presidential candidate, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, who is also backed by the pro-Kurdish People’s Democracy Party (HDP).

Journalists, artists, politicians and lawyers are targeted

An MP from the pro-Kurdish HDP party said that politicians, lawyers and journalists were among those arrested in the raids, while according to the non-governmental organization for the defense of liberties MLSA, the operations of the Turkish authorities targeted many lawyers and journalists.

“On the eve of the elections, in fear of losing power, they again resorted to arrest operations,” noted HDP MP Tayyip Temel in a tweet.

As he noted, dozens of politicians, including high-ranking members of his party, journalists, artists and lawyers are among those arrested this morning in Diyarbakir.

According to the Diyarbakır Bar Association, which was asked by AFP, “the total number of arrests could reach 150”, while those arrested include at least “some twenty lawyers, five journalists, three theater actors and a politician ».

Also according to the bar association, lawyers were banned from having any contact with their clients for a 24-hour period.