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FactcheckNov 29, 2021
UK: Seven Arrested in London Terror Probe Linked to Kurdish PKK
Above: General view of New Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police on Feb. 18, 2023. Image copyright: Vuk Valcic/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Facts
Counter-terrorism police arrested seven people in London — five men and two women aged between 23 and 62 — as part of an investigation into suspected activity linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).
Officers also conducted searches at eight locations across London, including the Kurdish Community Centre in Haringey, which will remain closed for up to two weeks as investigators gather evidence.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The arrests represent targeted action against suspected terrorist activity that poses harm to communities both in the UK and abroad. The investigation aims to protect all communities, particularly Turkish and Kurdish populations, and demonstrates zero tolerance for terrorist activities.
Establishment-critical narrative
The police's handling on Kurdish community spaces are unjust and heavy-handed, representing a targeted attack on the Kurdish people on the PKK's 46th anniversary, and an affront to principles of democracy, justice, and human rights that the UK claims to uphold.