Turkey: Police arrest 35 PKK/KCK suspects

By Mustafa Yildirim

IZMIR, Turkey (AA) - Police arrested 35 suspects during anti-terror operations against PKK/KCK across Turkey, a police source said.

The arrests were made during simultaneous operations in Izmir, Istanbul, Ankara, eastern Siirt and Bitlis, southeastern Diyarbakir and western Balikesir provinces, according to the source who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media.

Ahmet Cavit Ugur, former Izmir provincial head of Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), was among those arrested, the source added.

The suspects are accused of conducting terrorist activities.

They were taken to Izmir provincial directorate of security, said the source.

Turkey has been carrying out operations against the PKK and its affiliated groups inside and outside of the country over the past two years.

More than 1,200 people, including security force personnel and civilians, have lost their lives since the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July 2015.