Six charged with membership of banned Kurdish group

Six radical person been charged with rank of a proscribed violent group, the Met Police say.

They are accused of being members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is banned successful the UK.

Members of the Kurdish assemblage clashed with constabulary pursuing the arrests crossed London successful November.

The PKK is simply a Kurdish nationalist organisation which has fought the Turkish authorities since the 1980s. It is banned arsenic a violent organisation successful Turkey, the US and UK.

The accused are:

• Turkan Ozcan, 59, of Edmonton
• Mazlum Sayak, 27, of South Woodford
• Berfin Kerban, 31, of Haggerston
• Ali Boyraz, 62, of Tottenham
• Ercan Akbal, 56, of Leyton
• Agit Karatas, 23, of Hackney

They volition look astatine Westminster Magistrates' Court connected Tuesday.

A 31-year-old antheral who was besides arrested was released without charge, the Met said.

Small protests followed the arrests successful November. Protesters, immoderate reportedly shouting "Free Kurdistan", clashed with police extracurricular the Kurdish Community Centre successful Haringey, northbound London.

The Kurds a Middle Eastern taste group, dispersed crossed south-eastern Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Armenia.

They bash not person a authorities of their own, a cardinal request of Kurdish nationalist organisations including the PKK.

Acting Commander Helen Flanagan said: "We afloat recognise the interest and interaction this probe has had upon the section community.

"It is important that communities close crossed London cognize that wherever we fishy immoderate benignant of imaginable violent activity, past we volition look to analyse and instrumentality enactment to disrupt that successful bid to support everybody safe."

Det Ch Supt Caroline Haines said: "I would similar to convey members of the section assemblage for their patience portion this probe has been carried retired – particularly those from the Kurdish community.

"We volition proceed to prosecute with Kurdish assemblage members going forwards to support them updated and code immoderate concerns."