The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party has issued a strongly worded statement condemning what it describes as an ‘unlawful and politically motivated crackdown’ on opposition voices in Turkey. The statement follows a series of recent raids targeting the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK), in which around 50 people were detained and 30 arrested, including past and present members of the DEM Party’s Central Executive Committee.
According to the DEM Party, the arrests are part of an ongoing effort by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) to “silence and dismantle” the political opposition, especially Kurdish and left-wing groups. Their statement condemns the investigation’s reliance on what they claim is outdated and illegally obtained evidence from 2011-2013, a period associated with the now-discredited judiciary linked to FETÖ, an organisation that was once in the government but was later expelled. They argue that these accusations, as well as the charges used to justify both pre-trial detention and house arrest, are unfounded and only serve to stifle legitimate political activity.
In particular, the DEM Party leadership denounced the targeting of individuals who supported the so-called “Urban Consensus” (“Kent Uzlaşısı”) during the local elections, a political strategy that the party believes helped opposition candidates gain ground. Turkish authorities have suggested that the strategy was evidence of illegal organising, but the DEM Party insists that it was a legal strategy aimed at building a broad coalition among Kurdish and Turkish voters alike.
These latest developments come amid a widening crackdown on HDK members, with some opposition politicians claiming that as many as 6,000 people are being investigated for alleged links to outlawed groups. The DEM Party, along with other left-wing and pro-Kurdish organisations, claims that the latest wave of detentions and arrests underlines the government’s intention to “criminalise the political opposition” ahead of possible future elections.
RELATED ARTICLES
Turkey expands crackdown on HDK, 6,000 people targeted in investigation, MP says Turkish police detain activists, journalists, and politicians in raids Multiple arrests in nationwide raids targeting lawyers and party members in Turkey
“The government is orchestrating politically motivated trials and turning the judiciary into an instrument of repression,” wrote the DEM Party’s Central Executive Committee. “These investigations are not about justice, but about silencing all those who refuse to align themselves with the ruling bloc.”
The pro-Kurdish party has called on the Turkish authorities to release all those “illegally detained”, accusing the judiciary of orchestrating a “vendetta” against groups that successfully challenge the AKP’s policies. The party pledged to “continue building alliances” with other opposition groups and said it would not be intimidated by legal pressure or propaganda campaigns.
The crackdown has been widely condemned by opposition parties, activists and international rights organisations. Many argue that the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is trying to intimidate dissenting voices amid growing economic challenges and growing calls for democratic reform.
The DEM Party statement concluded by warning that the government’s continued repressive tactics could deepen polarisation within Turkey. However, the party says it will “never give up the struggle for an equal, free and collective life” and will continue its efforts to unite different constituencies in order to secure what it calls “the future of democracy”.
