Turkey arrests 31 suspects in anti-KCK operation

A Turkish court arrested 31 out of 37 people detained last week in the southeastern province of Sirnak suspected of having links with the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK), local media reported Wednesday. Thirty-seven people were detained last week in the Cizre district of Sirnak as part of an operation against the KCK. The court arrested 31 of them and released the remaining six pending trial, according to Turkish leading newspaper Today's Zaman. KCK, an umbrella political organization of insurgent Kurdish groups, including the outlawed Kurdish Worker's Party (PKK), has been under investigation since December 2009. A total of 152 suspects, including 12 mayors from the pro- Kurdish BDP, have been brought to trials and were accused of joining, aiding and abetting a terrorist organization as well as attempting to destroy the country's unity and integrity.