Kurdish politicians and activists, 151 in total, have gone on trial in Diyarbakir, the largest city in the Kurdish-dominated southeast. The charges include membership of illegal groups, spreading propaganda and violating laws on public demonstrations. The trial comes amidst Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s plans for reconciliation with the Kurdish ethnic minority, who make up 20 per cent of the population. The defendants include 12 elected mayors, and about 20 of the suspects are to be tried in absentia. European human rights activists and lawyers have arrived to monitor the case.