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The National
3 days ago
- Politics
- The National
Twelve Turkish soldiers die from methane gas exposure during cave search in Iraq
Turkey's Defence Ministry on Monday said 12 soldiers had died after being exposed to methane gas during a search operation in caves in the Kurdish region of Iraq. The ministry said the incident had taken place on Sunday inside a cave in Duhok during a mission to retrieve the remains of a Turkish soldier killed during a military operation against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 'Four other of our heroic comrades in arms, affected by methane gas, have died … bringing the total number of victims to 12,' the ministry said on X, raising an earlier toll. It did not provide further details on the origin of the methane gas in the caves. The soldier whose body the troops were searching for had been shot dead by Kurdish fighters in May 2022, the ministry said. Turkey was waging Operation Claw Lock at that time, attacking PKK positions in northern Duhok. The incident comes amid renewed peace efforts and continuing talks aimed at ending the conflict between Turkey and the PKK. The militant group has agreed to end its decades-long armed struggle and to disarm. The news of the deaths started to emerge on Sunday as a delegation from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party was visiting jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. The party has been mediating the negotiations between the group and Ankara. The DEM Party offered condolences over the deaths of the soldiers and said Ocalan had stated he was 'deeply concerned' by the incident. The PKK was founded by Ocalan in 1978 and has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state for four decades, with about 40,000 killed on both sides. The group is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the EU, something it challenges.
CNN
29-06-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Turkish police detain dozens at banned Istanbul Pride march, lawmaker says
Turkish police detained at least 30 people in central Istanbul on Sunday as they tried to take part in a Pride March, which authorities had banned as part of a years-long clampdown on LGBTQ+ events, an opposition politician said. Footage obtained by Reuters showed police scuffling with a group of activists holding rainbow flags in the city center before rounding them up and loading them into police vans. Kezban Konukcu, a lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party who attended the march, told Reuters that at least 30 people had been taken into custody. Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Istanbul governor's office had earlier deemed the march unlawful and said groups promoting the event were operating 'illegally.' Authorities have banned Pride marches in Turkey's largest city since 2015, citing public safety and security concerns. President Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party has adopted increasingly harsh rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community over the past decade. In January, Erdogan declared 2025 the 'Year of the Family,' describing Turkey's declining birth rate as an existential threat and accusing the LGBTQ+ movement of undermining traditional values. 'The primary goal of the gender neutralization policies, in which LGBT is used as a battering ram, is the family and the sanctity of the family institution,' Erdogan said in January. Rights groups have condemned Turkey's stance. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned that government rhetoric and actions are fueling a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people, contributing to rising discrimination and violence. Despite the bans, small groups of activists continue to mark Pride Week each year. Organizers say the increasingly aggressive police response reflects broader crackdowns on dissent and freedom of assembly in Turkey.
Reuters
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Turkish police detain dozens at banned Istanbul Pride march, lawmaker says
ISTANBUL, June 29 (Reuters) - Turkish police detained at least 30 people in central Istanbul on Sunday as they tried to take part in a Pride March, which authorities had banned as part of a years-long clampdown on LGBTQ+ events, an opposition politician said. Footage obtained by Reuters showed police scuffling with a group of activists holding rainbow flags in the city centre before rounding them up and loading them into police vans. Kezban Konukcu, a lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party who attended the march, told Reuters that at least 30 people had been taken into custody. Police did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Istanbul governor's office had earlier deemed the march unlawful and said groups promoting the event were operating "illegally". Authorities have banned Pride marches in Turkey's largest city since 2015, citing public safety and security concerns. President Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist-rooted AK Party has adopted increasingly harsh rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community over the past decade. In January, Erdogan declared 2025 the "Year of the Family," describing Turkey's declining birth rate as an existential threat and accusing the LGBTQ+ movement of undermining traditional values. "The primary goal of the gender neutralization policies, in which LGBT is used as a battering ram, is the family and the sanctity of the family institution," Erdogan said in January. Rights groups have condemned Turkey's stance. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have warned that government rhetoric and actions are fuelling a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people, contributing to rising discrimination and violence. Despite the bans, small groups of activists continue to mark Pride Week each year. Organizers say the increasingly aggressive police response reflects broader crackdowns on dissent and freedom of assembly in Turkey.
