The Mayor of Kars Arrested in Turkey

The Turkish authorities have arrested Ayhan Bilgen, the mayor of Kars, who is considered an opposition figure from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). This was reported by Ermenihaber.

The arrest occurred as part of an investigation being conducted by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Ankara into protests that took place in Turkey's Kurdish-populated regions following the attacks on the Syrian town of Kobani in 2014. On the morning of September 25, police officers from the Kars Provincial Directorate of Security raided Bilgen's home.

After conducting a search, the mayor was taken to the police station in an armored vehicle. In protest, numerous party members gathered in front of the mayor's house.