"This is an important issue and it is related to the upcoming elections. The HDP has more than 50 percent of the vote in (Turkey) Kurdistan and it has 11 percent of the votes all over Turkey," Sedqi Zeylan, a Turkey Kurdish lawyer and politician, told KurdPress about the recent pressure from the Turkish government and police on HDP representatives.

He continued: "In the last municipal elections, the HDP allied with the CHP and made achievements, and they were able to win the Istanbul mayoral seat in favor of the CHP. Istanbul is a very important city for other parties and the Kurds as there are about four to five million Kurds living in this city. Istanbul is an important city both politically and economically, and controlling it is a trump card for political blocs.

"In 2017 elections, the ruling party suffered defeat and one of the main reasons behind the failure was the HDP. The ruling party annulled the elections that year and held the elections again, announcing that the HDP is affiliated with the PKK. Ninety percent of the HDP's vote comes from Kurdish, with the remaining 10 percent is by other individuals and social groups. The government uses the excuse of the HDP's affiliation with the PKK to disregard some Kurdish national and linguistic freedoms," Mr. Zilan further told KurdPress.

The Kurdish lawyer noted: "For the government, there is no difference between the HDP and other Kurds who seek the rights of the Kurdish people, and it uses any method to put pressure on the Kurds; but because the HDP has a political position, this pressure is much more."

Sedqi Zilan pointed out: "There are various issues involved in the new AKP pressure on the HDP; some of which are related to the upcoming parliamentary elections, the issue of Syrian Kurdistan, the PKK issue, the HDP alliance with the CHP, the creation of a third political bloc in the presence of other Kurdish blocs in Turkey as well as some other issues."

Reporter's code: 50101