At least 58 people were taken into custody in Turkey on suspicion of "terrorism" on Thursday. According to a statement issued by the Ministry of the Interior, the people concerned are accused of "financing terrorism". A further accusation that has been made is the violation of the Assembly and Demonstration Law No. 2911.

According to the ministry, the arrests, which were coordinated by the Turkish police's counter-terrorism department and the intelligence service, took place in a total of 16 provinces, including in Kurdish regions such as Amed (Diyarbakır), Dersim and Van. People were also taken into custody in the west of the country, including in Istanbul and Antalya.

According to the government, the detainees were suspected of "separatist" activities in the past. They are claimed to have taken part in "activities in the name of the terrorist organisation" (meaning the PKK), carried out "propaganda" for it, participated in "illegal marches" and "attacked security forces with Molotov cocktails, stones and fireworks".

The statement did not provide any information about the identities of those detained, when they were taken into custody or whether they are still in custody. According to the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD), they are likely to be people who are active within Kurdish local politics and civil society.