Turkish police carried out political genocide operations in 12 provinces in an İzmir-centered operation on Thursday. The operation targeted the Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP).

An arrest warrant has been issued for a total of 52 people, of whom 48 have been taken into custody already, including ESP co-chair Özlem Gümüştaş, ETHA (Etkin News Agency) reporter Pınar Gaip and HDP Party Assembly member Sıtkı Güngör.

In the scope of the operation, police stormed the ESP headquarters in Ankara, the party’s offices in İzmir, its Bayraklı district and Istanbul, as well as the ETHA office in Istanbul and BEKSAV (Science Education Aesthetics Culture Arts Research Foundation).

Police raided the ESP headquarters in Ankara late last night and seized a number of documents before leaving the office after a 4-hour search.

In Amed (Diyarbakır), ESP member Zindan Dorudemir was taken into custody in his workplace last night.

Those detained in the operation include the following: including ESP co-chair Özlem Gümüştaş, ETHA reporter Pınar Gaip, HDP Party Assembly member Sıtkı Güngör, ESP Istanbul branch co-chair Ezgi Bahçeci, HDP Istanbul organization co-spokesperson Pınar Türk and lawyer Kamil Ağaoğlu.