Police fire shots during detention operation in Van

Turkish police raided several homes in Van and detained nine people. At the home of HDP politician Ömer Işık, masked officers in combat gear fired live ammunition.

After the arrests in Amed (tr. Diyarbakır) and Istanbul, Friday also started with a new detention operation in the Kurdish province of Van. Several homes were stormed by units of the so-called anti-terror police, and at least nine people were taken into custody. The reasons for the detentions are not known as officials did not provide any details.

Among those detained is local politician Ömer Işık, who is a member of the executive board of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Van. During the raid on Işık's apartment, masked police officers in combat gear reportedly fired live ammunition. Pictures obtained by ANF show a bullet hole on the floor in the apartment's hallway. The shots were reportedly fired immediately after the apartment door was opened. According to the information, no one was injured.

Işık and the eight other detainees have been taken to police headquarters in the city. Contact with legal counsel has not yet been established.