Crackdown on Kurds Fills Ankara Prisons
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Prison cells in Ankara overflowed as police detained thousands of Kurds in a bid to stop a rally planned for the Turkish capital.
Authorities sent protesters by bus to police stations in nearby regions after cells in the city were filled. At least 700 were arrested.
Thousands of police, reinforced by colleagues from nearby towns and backed by armored cars and riot squads, had patrolled city streets, checking identity papers and detaining Kurds, most of whom surrendered without a struggle.
The People’s Democracy Party, Turkey’s largest pro-Kurdish party, eventually canceled plans to hold the rally.
World Peace Day on Sept. 1 has become a protest day for Kurdish activists who want autonomy for Turkey’s 12 million Kurds.
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