Over 200 Arrested in Turkey Following Istanbul Bombings

The Turkish government, in response to two explosions in Istanbul for which a Kurdish militant group has claimed responsibility, has arrested several officials from two pro-Kurdish parties and attacked PKK positions in northern Iraq. According to the Turkish Ministry of Interior, a total of 235 people have been arrested in 11 cities over the past two days on charges of 'propaganda in favor of the PKK.' However, the ministry did not specify the exact number of officials and members of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) arrested during the security forces' operations on Monday. Concerns about the intensification of repression against these two parties have increased due to these actions. These parties, which the Turkish government accuses of supporting the PKK, have consistently denied such allegations. According to a report by AFP, the Turkish Minister of Health announced that the death toll from the Istanbul explosions has reached 44, with 38 of them being police officers. The Turkish army announced on Monday that it had bombed PKK positions in northern Iraq, referring to them as 'separatist terrorists.' The statement indicated that several command centers and weapon depots of this group were destroyed in the attacks. Following reports of this new wave of arrests, German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged the Turkish government to 'respect the rule of law and the principle of proportional response.' The responsibility for the Istanbul bombings has been claimed by the 'Kurdistan Freedom Hawks,' a splinter group of the PKK. This group has claimed responsibility for three major attacks in Ankara and Istanbul over the past year, resulting in at least 73 deaths. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed to fight terrorism to the end following the bombings on Saturday. He also visited the explosion sites on Monday and attended the funerals of several police officers killed in the attacks. Meanwhile, the Hurriyet newspaper criticized the Turkish government in its Monday editorial, stating that 'the government is showing only angry reactions instead of a calculated strategy.' The editor-in-chief added that 'the government continues to use these attacks as an excuse to restrict political and individual freedoms, which is not the way to prevent terrorist attacks.' Last month, ten representatives of the HDP, including two of its leaders, were arrested and are still awaiting retrial in prison. Reports have also emerged that during police operations and the arrest of several other activists from this party, its office in Istanbul was attacked by unknown individuals.