A witness said the police raid at the Kurdish community centre was ‘violent’

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A WITNESS to the arrests of several activists has criticised the police for its approach in raid at a Kurdish community centre.

Abdulkadir Bugdayci, who arrived as a political refugee from Turkey only three months ago, said he was one of several men sleeping in the Kurdish Community Centre in Finsbury Park in the early hours of Wednesday when dozens of police officers broke down the door.

Speaking from outside the now-cordoned off community centre, he told the Tribune: “They told us that ‘you Kurds are supporting terrorists, you are terrorists’. They handcuffed us from the back and they left us outside under the rain in that cold weather for five hours. Most of us were half-clothed, without jumpers, without shoes, even without socks.”

The Metropolitan Police say that the raid was part of a “significant” counter-terrorirst action into suspected activity by the proscribed Kurdistan Workers Party, known as the “PKK”.

They said they detained six people from their homes and the community centre, and have said that there will be no access to the properties for two weeks, while they are searched.

But Mr Bugdayci said the raid has left him traumatised, and reminds him of the oppression he faced while in Turkey.

He told the Tribune: “We left Turkey because of this, and we thought that here was safety. What happened in Turkey, here the same thing has happened to us, that’s why I don’t feel very well psychologically.”

Mark Campbell, who has been a pro-Kurdish rights campaigner for more than 30 years, said that the raids were “the worst attack on the Kurdish community by any UK government”.

He added: “It’s ironic that it comes from the Labour government, because because many of the Labour MPs that are now in power relied on Kurdish votes. They now feel completely and utterly abandoned and betrayed, and for what? For trade agreements with the Turkish government?”

Some protesters have highlighted the timing of the raid, just two weeks after foreign minister Hakan Fidan met David Lammy.

Acting Commander Helen Flanagan, from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “This activity has come about following a significant investigation and operation into activity we believe is linked to the terrorist group PKK. These are targeted arrests of those we suspect of being involved in terrorist activity linked to the group.

“I hope that these arrests show that we will not tolerate any sort of terrorist activity and that we will take action where we believe there is harm being caused to communities here in the UK or elsewhere.”

She added: “This investigation and activity is about protecting all of our communities, but particularly those in our Turkish and Kurdish communities. I would urge anyone who thinks they may have been affected or targeted by those linked to the PKK to get in touch.

“We are also very mindful that closing the community centre may cause inconvenience to some people. Officers will be working as quickly as they can, but these are very serious allegations so it is important that we take care in identifying and gathering as much evidence as we can.”