Turkey Cracks Down on PKK Terror Group Amid Furtive Talks With Jailed Leader

Some critics accuse the government of using anti-terrorism measures to sideline domestic political opponents.

Turkish security forces stand behind barricades as protesters gather at a rally organised by the pro-Kurdish Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, dubbed "Freedom Rally Against Isolation," against the continued isolation of imprisoned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) founder Abdullah Ocalan in Diyarbakir, Turkey, on Oct. 13, 2024. Ilyas Akengin/AFP via Getty Images

Last week, Turkish authorities detained scores of people for suspected links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is viewed as a terrorist group by Ankara, Brussels, and Washington.

On Feb. 18, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said that almost 300 suspects had been arrested in multiple provinces, including Istanbul and the capital Ankara.