Turkish police detain ten people for attending PKK memorial gatherings in Diyarbakır

Turkish authorities carried out early-morning operations in Diyarbakır, taking ten people into custody for participating in memorial tents honoring PKK militants killed in clashes with the military. The Association of Lawyers for Freedom reported the detentions occurred at tents set up in Koşuyolu Park, where a collective gathering in August had commemorated dozens of PKK members. DEM Party co-chair Tuncer Bakırhan and other party figures had attended that event, prompting criticism from government supporters.

The arrests come amid a peace process aimed at ending the decades-long conflict with the PKK, following Abdullah Öcalan’s 2025 call for disarmament. Lawyers’ group argued the detentions undermine the reconciliation effort and called for the detainees’ immediate release. Reports differ on the total number of arrests, with some outlets suggesting a larger sweep across the city.