Six charged with membership of banned Kurdish group

Protesters clashed with police following the arrests in November

Six people have been charged with membership of a proscribed terrorist group, the Met Police say.

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

Members of the Kurdish community clashed with police following the arrests across London in November.

The PKK is a Kurdish nationalist organisation which has fought the Turkish state since the 1980s. It is banned as a terrorist organisation in 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 will appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

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

Small protests followed the arrests in November. Protesters, some reportedly shouting "Free Kurdistan", clashed with police outside the Kurdish Community Centre in Haringey, north London.

The Kurds are a Middle Eastern ethnic group, spread across south-eastern Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Armenia.

They do not have a state of their own, a key demand of Kurdish nationalist organisations including the PKK.

Acting Commander Helen Flanagan said: "We fully recognise the concern and impact this investigation has had upon the local community."

She added that where potential terrorist activity was suspected, "then we will look to investigate and take action to disrupt that".

Det Ch Supt Caroline Haines said: "We will continue to engage with Kurdish community members going forwards to keep them updated and address any concerns."