A jailed Kurdish leader and a Turkish writer on the other side of the bars have used their penpal exchanges to write one of Turkey's highest-selling books. The crime novel "Duet in Purgatory", which features a retired left-wing lawyer and a bitter ageing general with a tortuous past, has been a roaring success.

Turkish duo pen bestselling novel though prison bars

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday blasted the top European human rights court's call for Turkey to release Kurdish political leader Selahattin Demirtas after four years in jail.

Erdogan slams European court's ruling to release Kurdish politician Demirtas

The Turkish government removed three mayors from office on Monday over alleged links to Kurdish militants, the interior ministry said. The mayors of Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van provinces in eastern Turkey all members of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) elected in March were suspended.

Turkey removes pro-Kurdish mayors over alleged links to militants

Party leaders Selahattin Demirtas and Figen Yuksekdag, who were detained overnight during a terror investigation, were remanded into custody

Turkey coup crackdown: Prominent pro-Kurdish party leaders, 5 MPs arrested