Spain releases PKK suspects on bail

MADRID, Spain – A Spanish court has released on bail Remzi Kartal, a former lawmaker from Turkey’s disbanded Democracy Party and suspected former commander of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), Turkish media reported on Monday (March 30th).

Police arrested him a week ago in Madrid, based on an international arrest warrant for his alleged crimes in Turkey. The court’s decision to release him came a day after it requested documents required for Kartal’s extradition to Turkey. The Spanish court also released on bail Eyyup Doru, another suspected PKK member.

In other news Monday, Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) announced it is challenging Sunday’s local election results in four districts in Istanbul.

Power cuts and computer system failures jeopardised the vote-counting process in those districts, where the race was “neck and neck”, Gursel Tekin, chairman of the CHP’s Istanbul branch, told reporters.