London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Six people have been charged with links to the banned PKK group following a counter-terrorism investigation, sparking protests in the Kurdish community in London.
According to London’s Metropolitan Police, the six suspects would appear in court on Tuesday, charged with belonging to a banned terrorist organization.
Six individuals, Turkan Ozcan, 59, Mazlum Sayak, 27, Berfin Kerban, 31, Ali Boyraz, 62, Ercan Akbal, 56, and Agit Karatas, 23, are accused of links with the proscribed PKK group.
Under Section 11 of the Terrorism Act 2000, six suspects face charges of belonging to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
After the arrests, police conducted searches at several locations in north London, including a Kurdish community centre, which ignited protests.
As reported by AP News, Caroline Haines, Detective Chief Superintendent admitted the recent events had “particularly impacted” Haringey’s Kurdish area.
She stated,
“We will continue to engage with Kurdish community members going forward to keep them updated and address any concerns.”
Ms. Haines expressed gratitude to the local community, especially the Kurdish residents, for their patience throughout the investigation.
The Guardian states that forces confirmed that a 31-year-old man was detained in connection with the investigation but was released without any charge on Sunday 8, December.
The PKK organization has been proscribed in the UK since 2001, is demanding an independent Kurdish state in southeast Turkey and has been engaged in conflict with the Turkish government for decades.
According to the US Director of National Intelligence, the PKK group, which has more than 4,000 members, has executed multiple terror attacks that caused numerous casualties, including deaths of civilians.
Acting Cmdr Helen Flanagan, from the Met’s counter-terrorism command, said,
“We fully recognise the concern and impact this investigation has had upon the local community and we continue to work closely with local policing colleagues to keep them updated. The charges brought about in this case are very serious and come about following an extensive investigation by our detectives.”
He said communities in London should know that we will take action to address and prevent any potential terrorist threats.
The Kurdistan Workers Party was banned as a terrorist group by several countries, including the US in 1997, the UK in 2001, Canada in 2002, and the European Union in 2004.
United Press International (UPI) reports that a bomb explosion near an Istanbul soccer stadium in December 2016, left 155 injured and killed 44 people.
The authorities conducted searches at multiple locations, including the Kurdish community centre in Haringey, the headquarters of the Kurdish People’s Assembly, a UK-based advocacy group.
Last month, after the arrest of seven suspects, protests started in Haringey, north London, as local people rallied to end further police investigation in the area.
Kurdish communities urged for the “immediate release of those detained,” condemning the detentions as an attack on the “affront to the principles of democracy, justice and human rights that the UK claims to hold.”
The Metropolitan Police requested anyone with confidential information related to the investigation report at 0800 789 321 or through www.gov.uk/ACT.