City councilors in Mersin detained ahead of a critical meeting

Police detained 21 city councilors from the HDP (People’s Democratic Party) in the southern Turkish city of Mersin on Thursday accusing them of praising the PKK’s (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) actions on social media and undermining Turkey's cross-border operations, Mezopotamya Agency reported. 

HDP Provincial Chair Bedriye Kus was amongst the detained and police seeked ten more people who were not at home during the raids.

Special operations police with long-barreled weapons shut down the surroundings of the houses during the operation dubbed “cleaning” by the police.

The raid coincided with an extraordinary meeting to discuss the obligation authority in the City Council.

Previously, the mayor from AKP (Justice and Development Party) requested the authority which was refused by the HDP members, Mezopotamya Agency said.