ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkey arrested two dozen lawyers in early morning raids in Diyarbakir on Friday and issued arrest warrants for more than 100 people as part of an investigation into a pro-Kurdish organization.

At least 15 members of the Diyarbakir Bar Association were detained and their homes searched under allegations of ties to the Democratic Society Congress (DTK), tweeted Cihan Aydin, chair of the association.

Authorities in Diyarbakir issued arrest warrants 101 people in connection with a probe into the DTK. They have made 72 arrests, 24 of whom are lawyers, and seized weapons and documents, according to Anadolu Agency.

Dr. Seyhmus Gokalp of the medical association was also detained, according to Human Rights Watch Turkey director Emma Sinclair-Webb.

DTK is a civil organization working towards resolving the Kurdish question in Turkey. Its co-chair Leyla Guven, elected to the parliament in 2018 on a joint ticket with the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), was arrested on terror-related charges and accusations of ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). She was released from prison in June, but stripped of her parliamentary standing.

Turkish state media describes DTK as the PKK’s legislative body.

Rudaw