ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party (HDP) announced on Saturday morning that nine of their members have been detained a week after the party held its congress.
“They did not endure the joy of people. This boat will surely reach the harbor. You will be remembered for the evils you have always been doing,” tweeted Nihat Akdogan member of HDP’s Party Council on Saturday.
The co-spokesperson of the pro-Kurdish Union Peoples’ Democratic Congress (HDK) Onur Hamzaoglu and Socialist Party of the Oppressed (ESP) Vice President Fadime Celebi were arrested. They were detained last week.
Hamzaoglu and Celebo were arrested because “they wanted peace. Opposing war is not a crime, [it is] an honor,” read a tweet from HDP on Saturday.
HDK established HDP in 2012 as its political wing.
Five members of the Revolutionary Party (DV), a leftist party, were detained on Saturday as well. DV has close relations with HDP.
The HDP elected two new co-chairs on February 11.
Turkey’s political parties are positioning themselves for elections to be held in 2019. The country will hold local elections in March that year and presidential and parliamentary elections in November. This will be the first time people go to the polls since adopting constitutional amendments that strengthened the presidency in a referendum in April 2017.
Turkey has arrested at least 600 people for opposing the Afrin operation on social media or in protests.
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