A total of 15,530 people have been detained and 3,661 people have been remanded in custody in the political police operations carried out by the Turkish government against HDP executives and members since 24 July 2015.

In 2016, a total of 10,719 HDP members have been detained, and 2,251 Kurdish politicians have been remanded in custody. In total, the number of people sent to prison exceeded 6,000. Since 2015, 89 HDP provincial co-chairs and 193 HDP district co-chairs have been remanded in custody.

The ruling AKP party intensifies these arrests around one year before the elections. Something that reveals the purpose of the operations. The AKP, which has been in power since 3 November 2002, launched operations to further criminalize, detain and arrest the Kurds after its major electoral defeat by the HDP in the 2009 local elections in Kurdistan. In particular, the operations carried out before the 2011 elections show the true intentions of the AKP.

5 separate operations in 2011

The election campaign of the AKP, which took action on the eve of the 12 June 2011 elections, led to a high number of detentions. In 2010, 47 Kurdish politicians were arrested and sent to prison in 5 separate operations carried out in Van city alone. The AKP attempted to suppress the Kurds with political police operations in the run-up to the elections.

210 people detained in 2017

The AKP government continued to repress and carry out operations against the Kurds before the 24 June 2018 elections. Political police operations took place most frequently in the years 2017 and 2018.

* 20 people were detained as a result of a helicopter-supported operation in Adana.

* On 10 January 2017, 30 people were taken into custody.

* 13 people were taken into custody in Eskişehir.

* 13 HDP members were taken into custody in Istanbul and Tekirdağ, and 8 in Ankara. Journalists were also taken into custody during these operations.

* 80 people were taken into custody in police raids in different districts of Istanbul, Agri and Adana.

* In Adana, 26 people, including HDP Provincial co-chair Hüseyin Beyaz, were taken into custody because of an alleged involvement with the PKK.

A total of 210 Kurdish politicians were taken into custody in 2017.

311 people taken into custody in 2018

Political police operations continued in 2018.

* 90 people, including journalists and HDP politicians, were taken into custody in 8 cities as part of Amed-based operations.

* 18 people were taken into custody in Van.

* In Adana, 34 people were taken into custody following police raids.

* 158 people were taken into custody in Amed.

* 11 people were taken into custody in Kocaeli.

A total of 311 Kurdish politicians were taken into custody in police raids against the HDP in 2018.

111 people detained in 2019

The AKP continued its crackdown on the HDP before the local elections on 31 March. In the first 3 months of 2019, 59 people were arrested and sent to prison.

* 20 people were taken into custody in Van

* Some 20 people were taken into custody in a police raid as part of an operation against the HDP in Kocaeli.

* In Adana, 12 HDP executives, including HDP Adana Provincial co-chair Gülseren Tural, were taken into custody.

149 people detained in 2022

As the 2023 elections approached, 14 executives from the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), a sister party of the HDP, were taken into custody in an operation against the party. Immediately afterwards, 15 people, including co-chair Keskin Bayındır, were detained.

* As part of an investigation carried out by the Tekirdağ Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, detention warrants were issued for 42 people, including the provincial chairs of the HDP in 10 provinces.

* As part of the Kobanê investigation, 46 Kurdish politicians were detained.

* 31 people were detained in police raids in Mersin.

A total of 149 Kurdish politicians were arrested in operations against the HDP in 2022.

Arrests before 14 May

126 people, including journalists, activists, politicians and artists, were detained in Amed-based operations carried out only 20 days before the May 14 elections.