Police raid HDP buildings in Diyarbakır, detain provincial co-chairs

Photos: MA

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The police have raided the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) buildings in the mostly Kurdish-populated southeastern province of Diyarbakır, the Mesopotamia Agency (MA) reported.

A search was being carried out in the party's provincial building and Yenişehir district building for "possessing illegal documents," said the report. The buildings were surrounded by numerous armored vehicles and police officers.

In Yenişehir, everyone except the party's district co-chairs, Kasım Kaya and Remziye Sızıcı, were taken out of the building and HDP deputies are not allowed in.

Later in the day, HDP Diyarbakır provincial co-chairs Hülya Alökmen Uyanık and Zeyat Ceylan and Yenişehir district co-chairs Kasım Kaya and Remziye Sızıcı were detained.

HDP Diyarbakır deputy Semra Güzel said on Twitter that "There is no logical reason for them to search the provincial building, where they keep watch 24 hours a day. This is nothing but criminalization. HDP did not and will not bow to you!"

24 saat kapılarında nöbet tuttukları il binasını basıp içeri girip arama yapmanın bir tek mantıklı nedeni yok. Bu kriminalize etmeye çalışmaktan başka bir şey değil.
HDP size boyun eğmedi, eğmez! https://t.co/5I0GfsFEgO

— Semra Güzel (@semraguzelhdp) October 22, 2020

Speaking at the parliament, HDP Women's Assembly spokesperson and Batman deputy Ayşe Acar Başaran said the police raided the buildings "like gangsters."

"It is demonstrated once again that it is forbidden for the HDP to do politics in the country," she remarked.

The operation was launched upon an order by the Diyarbakır Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. (DŞ/VK)