Turkey detains HDP Diyarbakır provincial co-chairs in latest crackdown on party

Duvar English

Turkish police on Oct. 22 raided the headquarters of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır as well as the branch office of the district of Yenişehir.

The raids, the reasons of which have been yet revealed, were undertaken upon the instructions of the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

The police circled the two buildings and did not allow party executives to enter them.

As a result of the two operations, the police detained HDP Diyarbakır provincial co-chairs Hülya Alökmen Uyanık and Zeyat Ceylan as well as HDP Yenişehir district co-chairs Kasım Kaya and Remziye Sızıcı.

As Ceylan and Uyanık were waiting to be detained, they recorded a video, which was shared by the HDP's Twitter account. Uyanık said in her statement that they have been “experiencing these oppressions and tyranny for a long time now and are determined to fight against this.”

The HDP's Twitter account said in its statement: “The rulership continues to commit crime against the democratic politics. As our provincial co-chairs Zeyat Ceylan and Hülya Alökmen, who have been detained in an unlawful way, have stated, you will not be able to prevent this struggle.”

HDP Diyarbakır lawmaker Semra Güzel said that there is not a single logical reason why these raids were undertaken. “There is not a single reason why they have raided, entered and carried out a search in front of the provincial [HDP] building which they have been keeping guard for 24/7. This is not anything else other than trying to criminalize [the HDP]. The HDP did not bow down to you and will not!” she wrote on Twitter.

The latest crackdown on the party came after dozens of its members, including co-mayors of the eastern province of Kars, were arrested over 2014 Kobana protests six years later earlier this month.