ANKARA, Turkey, May 14 (UPI) -- Counter-terrorism officers in the Ankara Police Department arrested four attorneys on allegations they worked for the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.
The Ankara Prosecutor's Office ordered the raids based on claims the lawyers, who were registered with the Ankara Bar, were on the payroll of the PKK, the Turkish daily Today's Zaman reports.
The PKK and its affiliate Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan, or PJAK, are listed as known terrorist organizations by several governments, including Turkey and the United States.
In a separate incident, 12 people, including the provincial leader of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party, or DTP, were detained in the central province of Konya.
The arrests follow a sweeping regional crackdown on Kurdish separatists in the area. Iranian military forces reportedly clashed with Kurdish militants along the border regions with Iran while Turkish officials continue to struggle with regional separatists.
Earlier in May, leaders of the DTP staged a hunger strike in protest of the crackdowns against the party. DTP is considered by some to be the political arm of the PKK.
Ahmet Turk, the DTP party chairman, complained Ankara was behind the attacks as part of a retaliation for pro-Kurdish victories in the March municipal elections. He also denied allegations his party was linked to the PKK.
