HDP members arrested in police raid in Sirnak
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Several members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) were detained in a police raid at the party’s office in Sirnak province in the Kurdish region (Bakur) of eastern Turkey on Monday, said media outlets and officials from the bloc.
The police raided HDP’s office in Sirnak’s Cizre town in the early hours of the day, arresting at least five party members, including HDP’s district co-chair Mesut Nart, and district manager Yasamine Cikmaz, reported the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya Agency.
The reason for their detention is yet to be known, it added.
HDP’s Sirnak deputy Nuran Imir expressed her anger regarding the incident on Facebook, saying the doors of the office were broken, the windows were smashed and the office belongings were scattered on the floor.
An assailant attacked HDP’s Istanbul office with a knife and a gun in December.
The party’s Marmaris office was stormed by gunmen in July.
The daughter of an HDP member, whose photo was thrown to the floor in the recent attack, was killed in another offense on the party’s Izmir office in June.
The HDP has been under pressure for years, accused of being the political wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a charge the party denies. Members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have called for the party's closure.
Hundreds of its members and supporters are under investigation or in jail, including Selahattin Demirtas, the HDP's former leader, along with his co-chair Figen Yuksekdag.
“We will not bow down to your despicable attacks,” wrote Imir.
The police raided HDP’s office in Sirnak’s Cizre town in the early hours of the day, arresting at least five party members, including HDP’s district co-chair Mesut Nart, and district manager Yasamine Cikmaz, reported the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya Agency.
The reason for their detention is yet to be known, it added.
HDP’s Sirnak deputy Nuran Imir expressed her anger regarding the incident on Facebook, saying the doors of the office were broken, the windows were smashed and the office belongings were scattered on the floor.
The pro-Kurdish party’s offices are often attacked in Turkey.These images of disarray are from yesterday’s police raid on our Cizre (Şırnak) district building. They show us the AKP-MHP government's fear of Cizre's spirit of resistance. This government is an enemy of books, politics, our political party, and Cizre: Yet it is bound to lose. pic.twitter.com/ewQqHSagTO
— HDP English (@HDPenglish) April 11, 2022
An assailant attacked HDP’s Istanbul office with a knife and a gun in December.
The party’s Marmaris office was stormed by gunmen in July.
The daughter of an HDP member, whose photo was thrown to the floor in the recent attack, was killed in another offense on the party’s Izmir office in June.
The HDP has been under pressure for years, accused of being the political wing of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a charge the party denies. Members of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) have called for the party's closure.
Hundreds of its members and supporters are under investigation or in jail, including Selahattin Demirtas, the HDP's former leader, along with his co-chair Figen Yuksekdag.
“We will not bow down to your despicable attacks,” wrote Imir.
Updated at 11:28 am