Dozens of opponents of Afrin operation to be detained in Istanbul and Diyarbakir

Turkish public prosecutor’s offices in Istanbul and Diyarbakir issued detention warrants for at least 35 people on accusations of disseminating the propaganda of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in social media messages concerning a Turkish military operation in the Afrin region of Syria, according to security officials.

The office in Istanbul issued arrest warrants for 18 suspects, as part of the investigation, and the office in Diyarbakir - for 17 people, RIA Novosti reported.

On Saturday, Turkey’s General Staff announced beginning of the Olive Branch operation against the Kurds’ units near Afrin. On Sunday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim confirmed that Turkey’s army has launched a ground operation in Syria.