The Istanbul bombing that took 44 lives, 36 of them policemen, and wounded more than 155 triggered unprecedented outrage in the country. The bloodshed of innocent, defenseless people, among them a 19-year-old medical school freshman, touched the hearts of ordinary Turks.

A day later, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons (TAK) claimed responsibility for the attack. TAK is believed to be an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), and the growing public outrage turned against the Kurds. Taking full advantage, the Turkish regime increased its grip on the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP). Hundreds of party members and others were arrested in a nationwide crackdown on Kurdish and pro-Kurdish activists.

At the time of this writing, some 600 people had been detained and more arrests are expected. Two more lawmakers were added to the 10 HDP lawmakers already behind bars. The party’s co-chairs are in prison, as well. Last week, during a conference in Brussels, I met prominent HDP parliamentarian Osman Baydemir, who is also the former mayor of Diyarbakir. He told me that they expect another wave of arrests in the second half of December, and that he probably will be among those arrested. He voiced his gloomy prediction at the rostrum of the European Parliament, but he also added that his party will never give in. His defiance won a standing ovation in the hall of the European Parliament.

However, the crackdown came a bit earlier than he predicted. He could not foresee a deadly terrorist attack in Istanbul perpetrated by Kurdish suicide bombers. The HDP, especially Selahattin Demirtas from his prison cell, took the lead in condemning the attack in strongest terms. But it was not enough to dispel the outrage fueled by the government.