Turkey has intensified its crackdown on the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK), with up to 6,000 individuals under investigation, opposition Labour Party (EMEP) MP İskender Bayhan warned on Tuesday. The operation, led by the İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, has resulted in at least 52 detentions across 10 provinces, targeting journalists, artists, lawyers, and political activists.
The wave of arrests reflects an intensified effort by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s government to suppress political opposition, particularly Kurdish and leftist movements. Authorities have issued eight additional arrest warrants, with further detentions expected.
“We have learned that the investigation covers 6,000 individuals, including 1,600 in Istanbul alone,” Bayhan told reporters. “This may just be the first step.”
HDK members have condemned the detentions, denouncing them as politically motivated. HDK Executive Council member Sedat Şenoğlu linked the timing of the raids to renewed discussions on the Kurdish issue and broader democratic demands.
“These attacks are not independent from recent political developments,” Şenoğlu said. “In a period when people are discussing peace and a democratic future, we see a deliberate attempt to criminalise democratic organisations.”
HDK, a coalition uniting pro-Kurdish, socialist, feminist, and ecological movements, has long been a target of Turkish authorities. Despite operating legally, its members frequently face judicial harassment.
“If those in power truly sought a democratic solution, they would see HDK as part of the process, not as a threat,” Şenoğlu said. “Instead, they are trying to criminalise a platform that brings together diverse communities and democratic forces.”
HDK members and opposition figures have vowed to resist the crackdown, urging wider democratic mobilisation. “These attacks target all democratic opposition in Turkey,” said HDK Health Council member Alaattin Tüzer. “They want to silence everyone who demands justice and equality. But we will not be silenced.”
HDK Women’s Assembly member Arife Çınar argued that the operation was a broader attempt to stifle dissent. “The government is using repression to control a society that is already struggling with economic hardship,” she said. “This is not just about HDK—this is about silencing every voice of opposition.”
She warned that if repression continues, more groups across society could face similar crackdowns. “There is no guarantee that this won’t extend to others. That is why we call on all democratic forces to stand together.”
Analysts see the crackdown as part of Erdoğan’s broader strategy to neutralise political dissent ahead of upcoming elections. With Turkey grappling with economic turmoil and growing opposition pressure, mass detentions serve to intimidate activists and suppress public mobilisation.
Bayhan accused the government of orchestrating mass arrests to silence critics and maintain its grip on power. “We are facing two realities in Turkey,” he said. “One is the ruling bloc’s Turkey, built on repression, bans, and detentions. The other is the Turkey of working people fighting for democracy and justice.”
Despite the crackdown, HDK insists it will continue its work for social justice and political change. “We are here, and we will not be silenced,” Şenoğlu said. “The struggle for democracy will continue.”
