Turkey: 2 HDP officials detained over PKK financing

By Sedat Simsek

MANISA, Turkey (AA) - Turkish police detained two officials of the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party's (HDP) in the western province of Manisa on Thursday for allegedly collecting charity on behalf of the PKK terrorist organization.

Manisa police department said in a written statement that the two HDP provincial administrators had collected charity money, known as Fitr," during the holy month of Ramadan in southeastern and eastern Turkish provinces to financially support the PKK.

The HDP officials were caught hiding more than 35,000 Turkish liras ($12,00) inside a cardboard along with 500 yellow envelopes.

The suspects have been charged with being "members of an armed terrorist organization", and "opposing the laws against terrorism financing", the statement added.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization also by the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015.

Since then, nearly 600 security personnel, including troops, police officers and village guards have been martyred and more than 5,000 PKK terrorists killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.