Turkish police on Saturday detained at least 25 suspects with alleged links to Kurdish militants a day after a rocket attack in the southern Mediterranean region of Antalya, state media reported, citing police sources.The attack struck a roadside fishmonger in Antalya, one of the country’s most popular tourism spots, but caused no casualties.
Police launched simultaneous raids across Turkey, including Istanbul, in a bid to find the suspects. They detained at least 25 people believed to be affiliated with Kurdish militants, Anadolu news agency reported. No group has claimed Friday’s attack but Anadolu said the suspects had ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) designated as a terror organisation by Turkey, EU and US.
Since July 2015, Turkey initiated a controversial military campaign against the PKK in the country’s southeastern Kurdish region after Ankara ended a two-year ceasefire agreement. Since the beginning of the campaign, Ankara has imposed several round-the-clock curfews, preventing civilians from fleeing regions where the military operations are being conducted.
Observers say the crackdown has taken a heavy toll on the Kurdish civilian population and accuse Turkey of using collective punishment against the minority. Activists have accused the security forces of causing huge destruction to urban centres and killing Kurdish civilians.
The PKK took up arms in 1984 against the Turkish state, which still denies the constitutional existence of Kurds, to push for greater autonomy for the Kurdish minority who make up around 22.5 million of the country’s 78-million population. A large Kurdish community in Turkey and worldwide openly sympathise with PKK rebels.
