On 27 September, in Şanlıurfa, the police arrested 31 members and executives of the Turkish Human Rights Association (İnsan Haklari Derneği - İHD) as well as the Education International (EI) affiliated Education and Science Workers Trade Union (Eğitim-Sen) and the Public Services International (PSI) affiliated Health and Social Service Workers Trade Union (SES). The police also searched the offices and the houses of the chairpersons and executives of the organisations. Among those arrested were the Eğitim-Sen Branch President Halit Şahin, the Eğitim-Sen former Branch President Sıtkı Dehşet and the Eğitim-Sen executive Veysi Özbingöl. The police were in possession of a warrant from the Şanlıurfa Chief Public Prosecution Office mentioning allegations of “propaganda for an illegal organisation” and “participating in activities in line with the action and aims of that organisation”
On 30 September seven of the 31 initially arrested were formally charged with “propaganda of an illegal organisation” under Article 7/2 of the Anti-Terrorism Law and placed in provisional detention. The other 24 persons were released without charges.