The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) continue to speak of a political process while simultaneously enforcing policies aimed at silencing the opposition. This time, the government’s judicial weapon has been turned against the Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) as part of its ongoing efforts to criminalize dissent.

The latest example of this repression is the unlawful arrest of Fırat Epözdemir, a member of the Executive Board of the Istanbul Bar Association. His detention was justified by the claim that his name appeared on a candidate list found during a search of HDK premises, dating back to his candidacy for Bağcılar Municipality co-mayor in the 2014 local elections. This move signaled a new crackdown on the HDK, following the arrests linked to the city agreement between the Republican People's Party (CHP) and the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) for the upcoming March 31 local elections.

The crackdown escalated on February 18 with a fresh wave of detentions. In the Istanbul-centered political genocide operation, 52 people, including members and executives of socialist parties, journalists, artists, and advocates for life and freedom for Palestine, were taken into custody in pre-dawn raids. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office directly targeted the HDK in its public statement. Meanwhile, Labor Party (EMEP) MP Iskender Bayhan revealed that the detentions were merely the first phase of a large-scale operation targeting 6,000 people. This statement indicated the beginning of yet another fabricated case against the HDK.  

HDK co-chair Ali Kenanoğlu, in his assessment to ANF regarding the political genocide operation targeting the HDK, stated that the AKP, having lost in the first political resolution process, is now trying to suppress social opposition to ensure it does not face another defeat. He emphasized that the government aims to create an obstacle-free political landscape by eliminating dissent.

Operations target entire opposition 

Kenanoğlu emphasized that although the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office claimed the operation was directed at the HDK, a closer look at the 52 people detained reveals that they include some of the most dynamic segments of Turkey’s social opposition: socialists, activists, environmentalists, journalists, politicians, and artists. Pointing out that among those detained, there are individuals with no connection to the HDK, Kenanoğlu stressed that the HDK is being deliberately used by the government’s judiciary as a tool to suppress social opposition. He also noted that the HDK is being instrumentalized to criminalize the city agreement made between the CHP and the DEM Party for the local elections. Kenanoğlu underlined that these consecutive operations are not isolated incidents but rather part of a broader crackdown targeting the entire opposition.

Attack on the unified struggle 

Kenanoğlu highlighted that "the HDK serves as a common struggle platform, bringing together the Kurdish movement, socialists, Alawites, and defenders of labor and life, and he said, ‘It is clear that this is an operation against the unified struggle.’ Through the HDK, they are attempting to criminalize the city agreement that challenged the government in the local elections and led to the defeat of the People’s Alliance. By doing so, they aim to create an obstacle-free political landscape.

This operation also seeks to distance the CHP from Turkey’s socialist structures and Kurdish voters."

Kenanoğlu noted that this strategy has already shown partial success, explaining: "Just a few weeks ago, the CHP was making statements about solving the Kurdish issue. However, following the operation against the city agreement, it has entirely removed the Kurdish issue from its agenda. This is exactly what the government wants. If this process is to lead to peace, I believe the government does not want to include the CHP in it."

Criminalization Cannot Coexist with a Political Process 

Kenanoğlu emphasized that while discussions about a political process are taking place, the simultaneous crackdown on social opposition, particularly through the HDK, is unacceptable. He continued: "The political process and this criminalization cannot go hand in hand. Either those talks must come to an end, or these operations must be stopped. It is not possible to continue negotiations with Imrali while at the same time appointing trustees to municipalities and criminalizing the opposition through operations. This contradicts the very nature of the process."

Repression must end  

Kenanoğlu pointed out that the AKP was the losing side in the 2013-2015 resolution process due to its approach at the time, and to avoid a similar outcome today, it is resorting to suppressing the opposition.

He emphasized that, in any country, democratization ultimately results in the defeat of authoritarian regimes, adding: "To prevent themselves from being the losers this time, they want to maintain both the process and these repressive policies simultaneously. In reality, the government is trying to force the opposition into accepting a process on its own terms by keeping it under pressure. By suppressing social opposition, they aim to stifle public reaction. They want the minimum wage to remain as they dictate, to continue supporting capital, to impose all kinds of repressive policies, to enrich their loyalists, but at the same time, they want the opposition to remain silent and prevent the public from rising up. If you recall, during the resolution process, the Gezi uprising erupted. They do not want to risk a similar situation again. But as I said before, this process cannot continue in this way. Either the process will end, or the repression will end. There is no way these two can coexist. It is that clear!"