Police detain 20 opposition HDP members in Istanbul

By Alptekin Soykan

ISTANBUL (AA) - Anti-terrorism police detained at least 20 members of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in Istanbul early Monday, according to a police source.

The suspects included HDP’s Istanbul provincial head Aysel Guzel as well as district-level party heads, the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

The arrests came after Saturday evening's deadly blasts in Istanbul that left 39 dead and 155 wounded. At around 10.30 p.m. (1930GMT), a car bomb went off outside a football stadium in the city's Besiktas district, two hours after the end of a Turkish league football match between Besiktas and Bursaspor. Seconds later, a suicide bomb attack occurred in Macka Park in the same neighborhood. The suicide bomber blew himself up after police noticed him, according to the interior minister.

A total of 13 suspects have been arrested so far.

Last month, 13 HDP lawmakers were arrested, and 10, including Co-Chairs Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, remain in custody awaiting trial on terrorism-related charges.

The lawmakers face prosecution under anti-terrorism legislation after their parliamentary immunity was lifted earlier this year.

The government has accused the HDP of having links to the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU.