Turkey’s police arrest 44 people in raids targeting PKK militantsOctober 2, 2015 - 16:08 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkish police detained 44 people in Istanbul on Friday, October 2, on suspicion of links with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in a continuing crackdown on militants ahead of a snap national election in November, local media reported, according to Reuters. Fighting between the Turkish military and the outlawed PKK resumed in the country's mainly Kurdish southeast following the collapse in July of a ceasefire and has reached an intensity unseen since the 1990s. More than 120 security personnel and hundreds of militants have been killed. Among those detained on Friday were district officials of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), a pro-Kurdish party which the government accuses of having links with the hardline PKK. An HDP spokesman had no immediate information on the arrests. There was also no comment from Turkish police. Among the 44 people arrested were union members and former district mayors, Turkish media reported. In the predominantly Kurdish southeastern city of Diyarbakir, security sources said police had imposed a curfew in the Silvan neighborhood where two soldiers were shot dead by suspected PKK militants on Thursday as they left for work. 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 | Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. U.S. welcomes efforts to define Armenia-Azerbaijan border The United States welcomes efforts to define the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, says Vedant Patel. Biden honors resilience of Armenian people on April 24 U.S. President Joe Biden has issued a statement on the 109th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Ex-Karabakh leader moved to solitary confinement cell in Baku, his son says David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. |