An operation was launched against the members and executives of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in six cities.

"In the operations that were conducted in Batman, eight people, including the Batman Provincial Chair of HDP have been detained; in Agri, 25 people have been detained; in Ankara, five people; In Mus, one person; in Mardin, one person; and in Sanliurfa, nine people have been detained. Thus, in operations that have been launched against the PKK/KCK (Kurdistan Workers' Party/ Kurdish Communities Union) terrorist organisation over the last two days, a total of 137 people have been taken into custody," said in the statement of the Ministry of Interior.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency, a confidentiality order has been issued for the case files of the detained, and detainees have been banned from consulting their attorneys.

The Turkish government has detained about 11,000 HDP members in the last two years and put 4,500 of them in prison, HDP member of parliament Ayhan Bilgen said.

Bilgen said of those put in prison or pre-trial imprisonment 750 were heads of township branches. Among them are the party’s co-leader Selahattin Demirtas and 10 other deputies who the police arrested in simultaneous midnight house raids a year ago.

“Whatever way you may try, this party will overcome these difficult days. Our people have been through much harder processes. It will neither be afraid nor bow or give up the cause,” Bilgen said.

HDP’s sister Democratic Regions’ Party (DBP) have also come under the crackdown, with over 2,500 of its members, including 80 mayors remaining in prisons across Turkey.