The trial of some 150 Kurdish politicians and civil society leaders charged with being part of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) began Monday in the southeastern Turkish city of Diyarbakir, DPA reported.
Among the accused are a dozen mayors who belong to the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP). The suspects are accused of belonging to an organization called the Kurdistan Communities Union, or KCK, which prosecutors claim is urban branch of the PKK.
The PKK is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.
The trial is being closely watched by both Turkish and international human rights organizations.
Several hundred supporters of the BDP gathered Monday outside the Diyarbakir courthouse, Turkish media reported.