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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) claimed on Thursday that a number of its representatives were briefly detained in Erbil. Security forces have, however, denied any arrest of officials from the party.
Pro-HDP Rojnews reported on Thursday that three members of the party’s office in Erbil - Nahide Ermis, Hikmet Xetib and Ruken Mercan - visited the house of a Kurdish family in the city but the representatives and two members of the family - Gungor Alp and Gulcan Alp - were detained in the afternoon by the Asayish (security) forces for an hour.
Head of Erbil’s Asayish Tariq Nuri, however, disputed the arrest claim and told Rudaw English that “no one [in the HDP] has been arrested.”
Feleknas Uca, head of HDP’s foreign affairs commission and deputy co-chair of the party, confirmed in a statement that officials in Erbil were detained without providing a specific number.
“After receiving the news [of their arrest], we contacted the KDP authorities and we were informed of what happened. Our representatives were released and they are carrying out their work,” she said, referring to Erbil’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
Uca added that Erbil authorities told them that the family the HDP representatives had visited did not have residency permits. However, the party official argued this is not cause to arrest their officials. “We see the Asayish behavior as incorrect and we do not accept this.”
“Every Kurd has the right to live in the Kurdistan Region in a secure and comfortable way as well as carry out their political and organizational work. We hope that such an atmosphere is created,” she said.
Pro-HDP Rojnews reported on Thursday that three members of the party’s office in Erbil - Nahide Ermis, Hikmet Xetib and Ruken Mercan - visited the house of a Kurdish family in the city but the representatives and two members of the family - Gungor Alp and Gulcan Alp - were detained in the afternoon by the Asayish (security) forces for an hour.
Head of Erbil’s Asayish Tariq Nuri, however, disputed the arrest claim and told Rudaw English that “no one [in the HDP] has been arrested.”
Feleknas Uca, head of HDP’s foreign affairs commission and deputy co-chair of the party, confirmed in a statement that officials in Erbil were detained without providing a specific number.
“After receiving the news [of their arrest], we contacted the KDP authorities and we were informed of what happened. Our representatives were released and they are carrying out their work,” she said, referring to Erbil’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
Uca added that Erbil authorities told them that the family the HDP representatives had visited did not have residency permits. However, the party official argued this is not cause to arrest their officials. “We see the Asayish behavior as incorrect and we do not accept this.”
“Every Kurd has the right to live in the Kurdistan Region in a secure and comfortable way as well as carry out their political and organizational work. We hope that such an atmosphere is created,” she said.
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