Sky News reported that the wide-scale arrests of leaders and supporters of the Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in several Turkish provinces have raised concerns about President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's government exploiting the deaths of Turkish soldiers held by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq to target the HDP.
There has been an increase in statements from leaders within Erdoğan's ruling coalition calling for the dissolution of the HDP, alleging its connections to the PKK, which is classified as a terrorist organization in Turkey. Ankara claims that the PKK executed 13 Turkish hostages recently in northern Iraq, referring to Turkish soldiers who were held by the PKK, while the party contends they were killed during a Turkish shelling of their captivity location.
Erdoğan's ally, the leader of the nationalist Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Devlet Bahçeli, explicitly called for the dissolution of the HDP, claiming its affiliation with the PKK. He stated: “The anti-terrorism strategy after the hostage killings is not the same as before, and the flames will reach anyone who supports or circles around the PKK. The HDP does not represent our Kurdish brothers; it is a traitor and a partner to the terrorist PKK. It is very important to close the HDP, and I am confident the supreme court will take the necessary actions regarding this party.”
In response, Mithat Sancar, the head of the HDP, said: “This government, which bears responsibility for what happened in (Kara) in northern Iraq, has chosen our party as a scapegoat to evade its responsibilities. Everyone must be aware of this; this operation targets the freedom of political expression and the hope for achieving democracy. This government seeks new divisions. Our party's stance is clear and consists of insisting on the freedom of political expression and the desire for democracy and peace.”
