- A total of 37 politicians have been detained in Van Province since October 12. After further investigations and appeals, the court ordered the release 30 of them; however, the remaining 7 were charged with “membership in a terrorist organization.” The jailed politicians include Kurdish Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Van provincial co-chair Murat Sarisach, DBP Ipekyolu district co-chair Hazim Harmanchi, HDP Ipekyolu district co-chair Tahirhan Sayyigit, DBP Edremit district co-chair Medeni Özer as well as politicians Dilaver Tashdemir and Necat Tanish. Raids by police against members of Kurdish political parties also took place in Ankara, Istanbul, and Bolu.
- Three Trustees assigned by the government to replace Kurdish officials resigned. In Ergani district of Diyarbakir (Amed) province, Ramazan Hekimoglu who replaced Co-mayor Aygun Tashkınand and Ali İpek who replaced Municipal Council member Hasip Demirtekin, resigned. After Hekimoglu’s and İpek’s resignation, the third trustee in the Municipality, Mustafa Yalchin who replaced the Municipal Council member Sabiha Alchichek last month, resigned from his post on October 20.
- After back and forth statements between the government’s of Turkey and Iraq regarding Turkey’s participation in the Mosul liberation operation, Selahattin Demirtash, co-leader of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), said: “Before Mosul, the AKP (Party of Justice and Development) should first clear Antep (Province) of ISIS.” He described Turkey’s President Recep Erdogan’s policies in the region as racist and chauvinistic, and said that statements such as “Mosul are ours, Mosul is Turkish” reflect the racist nature of Erdoğan’s policies. www.mesop.de