'Turkish government wants to criminalize Kurdish opposition party with fictional allegations': HDP

"The government wants to criminalize the HDP with fictional allegations, planning to use such accusations to close the party."
Turkish security forces during a raid on pro-Kurdish HDP members and activists in Istanbul on March 19, 2021. (Photo: Anadolu Agency)
Turkish security forces during a raid on pro-Kurdish HDP members and activists in Istanbul on March 19, 2021. (Photo: Anadolu Agency)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on Wednesday said the recent wave of detentions against its members is part of Turkey's ultimate aim of closing the party. 

"As the Kobani case against the HDP continues, with its all-unlawful practices, another wave of detentions of HDP politicians has been carried out in connection with this case," Feleknas Uca and Hişyar Özsoy, co-spokespersons of the HDP's Foreign Affairs Commission, said in a statement. "In the face of all these scandalous practices, the government has made its next move against the HDP and launched a second wave of detentions." 

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"We have already underlined in our previous statements that there is a close link between the Kobani case and the closure case against the HDP, as the Chief Public Prosecutor of the closure case bases most of his accusations against the HDP on the Kobani protests," the statement added. 

"The government wants to criminalize the HDP with fictional allegations, planning to use such accusations to close the party."

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The so-called "Kobanî trial" was launched against HDP officials for their role in protests in support of the Syrian Kurdish city of Kobani when it was under siege by ISIS.

On Apr. 12, the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued detention warrants against 91 people, including HDP party executives, mayors, municipal employees, former party members, and administrators. 

At least 46 people were detained in many cities, including Mersin, Adana, Istanbul, Diyarbakir, and Urfa. 

The HDP said the detainees were accused of "being involved in the financial organization of the Kobani incidents" and "providing financial assistance to PKK members who were killed or injured during the incidents." 

Some of them were also charged with "being a member of a terrorist organization."