55 PKK members detained for questioning after Dutch police raidDecember 3, 2012 - 19:23 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Dutch police raided a secret meeting of members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the Netherlands early on Monday, December 3 morning, and have held 55 people for questioning, the public prosecutor's office said in a statement, Reuters reported. The PKK has been fighting for Kurdish self-rule in southeastern Turkey since 1984 and is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara, the United States and the European Union. It has been banned in the Netherlands since 2007. A group of PKK members were meeting in a public park in Ellemeet, a village in the southwest of the country, at six in the morning when about 150 police raided the area, acting on a tip-off from the intelligence service, the prosecutors office said in its statement. The meetings had started on Friday and were expected to last a week, the prosecutor's office said, adding that the PKK recruits young Kurds in the Netherlands for its armed struggle against the Turkish army. Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. Aram I supports Karekin II’s “patriotic position” Catholicos of the Great House of Cilicia Aram I has expressed support for the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. |