Öcalan’s lawyers office raided in Istanbul

Many lawyers arrested as raids are carried out by police in different cities
Reports are coming through of searches at the office of Asr?n Hukuk Bürosu in Istanbul. This is the office lawyers of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan are affiliated to.
It is understood that hundreds of policemen are in the building since earlier this morning and the road around the office has been closed until 2pm.
It is also understood that searches are going on in several other buildings in different cities. Indeed there are reports of some 70 people taken into custody. Of these, at least 48 are said to be lawyers.
Kurdish daily Özgür Gündem was also targeted by police this morning.
BDP former executive lawyer Hüseyin Çal??ç? has been taken into custody. In Bursa, following a search at her house, Öcalan lawyer Ay?e Batumlu is said to have been taken into custody.
Police operations are carried in the context of the Kurdish Communities Union (KCK).
While details are coming through it seemed that raids have been carried out simultaneously in 16 provinces, including ?stanbul, ?anl?urfa, ?zmir, Bursa, Mu?, Van, Batman, Kars, Denizli and Diyarbak?r.
Among the people taken into custody are: BDP Diyarbak?r co-chair Ömer Ömer, Ba?lar council deputy mayor Derya Tamri?, Councillors Kadri Gökdemir, lawyers Baran Pamuk, Fuat Co?acak, Nuri Çelik, Mehmet Nuri Deniz, Ba?lar BDP chair Ali Yüce, and Fatma K?z?lkaya, ?afi Hayme.

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