The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation citing the Kobanê protests held between 5 and 8 October 2014, and a detention warrant against 82 people, including former HDP members of parliament deputies, mayors and members of the central committee, in 7 provinces. Many names from many circles, such as politicians, journalists and lawyers, showed reaction to the operations.
CHP Deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu, in his post on his Twitter account, said, “The reason was the Kobane events of 6-8 October 2014. It has been 6 years since, they were investigated, statements were given and tried. The detentions done this morning are a wedding gift to the Palace!"
Labour Party (EMEP) Chairwoman Selma Gürkan, reacted to the operation in words "a clear indication of the politicized judiciary", and used the following phrases: "6 years ago, whilst ISIS which ran wild on our borders conducting countless massacres came inches to becoming our neighbour Erdogans words ‘Kobanê is ready to fall’ is still in our memory. It is as if the account of the 'fall', which did not happen that day, is still being seen. These investigations and detentions, which were carried out 6 years after the intervening, and 4 years after the investigation on the same issue, have cannot be explained by the judiciary or the law. It is clear that law and justice will not emerge from the judiciary, whose relationship with the executive is symbolized by the chief prosecutor's wedding visit to the palace. This operation against the HDP is aimed at the right to make politics, to suppress the opposition and to cover up the problems created by the policies of the government. It is in fact settling accounts with Kobane which did not fall. It is a clear indicator of the politicized judiciary. Get well soon."
IHD [Human Right Association in Turkey] Co-Chairperson Eren Keskin said, "The operation of the Ankara Chief Prosecutor's Office against the HDP started again after 6 years. No solution policy, continues at `full speed`.This is a real, Political Genocide! What is going through me is; 'They want us all dead'! This is my clear feeling .. Therefore, let's live more and multiply".
On the other hand, Alper Taş [from the Left Party] said, "This is an operation to close the HDP and push it out of politics. The government wants to transform the field of politics into a ‘rose garden without thorns’ for itself. But in vain. Though detained should be released, attacks against HDP should be stopped, and the road to democratic politics should be paved."
CHP deputy İlhan Cihaner, who reacted to the detentions against HDP, also told CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdoğlu, Good Party leader Meral Akşener, Saadet Party leader Temel Karamollaoğlu and TİP President Erkan Baş: “It is our call to the Turkish Grand National Assembly: It will be a vital intervention to visit the HDP against the coup practice and to condemn unlawful detentions, claiming our politics, our peace, our unity, and making possible alliances to the public.”
Journalist Barış Yarkadaş, [who was a former CHP member of parliament], used the following statements in his post on Twitter:
"They detained 82 more HDP members in order not to release Selahattin Demirtaş. These detentions came after Demirtaş's statements that created the agenda in the last 15 days. The government wants to dissolve the HDP and create a "rose garden without thorns". Undoubtedly, this is the first goal ... The second goal is to cause a deep rift in the opposition bloc. The AKP-MHP government wants to 'demonize' the HDP and prevent the opposition from coming together and to neutralize the HDP. A very weak HDP is aimed in the election planned to be held in 2022. Of course, in the meantime, several birds are shot with one stone. They wanted to start the procedure of designation of a pro-AKP mayor instead of voted mayor of Kars, Ayhan Bilgen who was detained before for the same accusation. The government does not accept the votes of anyone elected from HDP as ‘the will of the people’. In this context, the opposition should put aside its shy attitude and react to these illegal and purely political operations against HDP supporters. It is our duty to oppose the attempt to dissolve HDP. Democracy without HDP is a bird with one wing."
"If hundreds of people, from Kars' elected Mayor Ayhan Bilgen, to RTÜK member Ali Ürküt, to Sırrı Süreyya Önder, are persecuted for fabricated reasons, the price will be heavy. Do not forget, justice is needed for everyone sooner or later."
In the statement made by the Left Party Central Executive Committee, the operation was condemned by saying that "the collapsed government is trying to close all opposition channels".
In the statement; “These operations prove once again that there is no limit to the tyranny of the power and also reveal how deep its despair has grown. All policies of the AKP government have collapsed. All of its claims in Syria, Libya and finally in the Eastern Mediterranean have been destroyed. There is a complete fiasco in the fight against the pandemic domestically. A huge public health risk threatens the whole society. (…)
"Recently, increasing pressures against the opposition, attacks on professional organizations, especially TTB, which has a great responsibility during the pandemic process, and now social media raids and the operation against HDP are the parts of this chain. We will fight together against oppression and lawlessness." was said.
Workers Party of Turkey (TİP) Chairman Erkan Baş, (…) “In this context, I would like to express that we will be in solidarity with HDP. However, we do not consider the issue only as an operation against HDP. This attack is for all of us. The aim is to neutralize, isolate and prevent all forces opposing the government from coming together. The government is implementing a political attack plan in order to divide the forces against itself and to cover up the cracks that have formed inside. We call on all the social opposition forces to organize a counter stance in line with the seriousness of the issue.”
Communist Party of Turkey (TKP) and the statement made by HDP managers to the arrest on social media (...) “The end of governments that try to intimidate people through ‘coercion, fear and fascism’ is evident. The government moves towards this end with every step it takes, dragging the country into the same darkness. (…) There is only one way to defeat these attacks: to be organized, to claim unity and solidarity. It is our call to our people, it is time to close the ranks!"
Halkevleri [a leftist political group] General President Nebiye Merttürk described the operation as “an ambush for the opposition”. Stating that it is a source of embarrassment for the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor and those who run the government, Merttürk said: “(…) Our word will be solidarity and struggle against fascism as always. It is also an important point that the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor, who posed in the palace, started this operation. Since they cannot find any justification, they are holding on to the justifications made 6 years ago."
Ceren Sözeri
Yusuf Karadaş
Aras Coşkuntuncel