Turkish police arrested about 60 Kurdish activists and politicians, including a provincial mayor, in simultaneous operations in three cities yesterday in their latest push against alleged supporters of armed militants.

The latest raids coincide with efforts in the capital Ankara to lift the parliamentary immunity of 10 lawmakers, nine of them from the legal, pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party. This would pave the way to prosecute them, in a move that would weaken Kurdish representation in parliament but may fuel tension in the southeast.