With the last appointment of trustees, 40 of the 65 municipalities won by HDP were replaced with trustees, 3 of which was metropolitan municipalities while the mayors of 2 province, 32 districts and 4 towns were also replaced by trustees.
The mayor of Yenişehir who was arrested yesterday, has been released and put under house arrest, while the detained co-mayor of Ergani was released with a ban on leaving the country.
Kurdish politician Belgin Diken, who was arrested in Diyarbakır at the instigation of the Turkish Ministry of the Interior yesterday, has been released. However, Diken has been placed under house arrest and is therefore not allowed to leave the house, and is also required to wear an ankle monitor.
Belgin Diken is deposed co-mayor of the Yenişehir district of Diyarbakır. On 13 November 2019 she was removed from office and replaced by a trustee. The HDP politician is under investigation in two preliminary proceedings for alleged “membership in a terrorist organisation”. As long as the proceedings are pending, she is not allowed to remove her ankle monitor.
Ahmet Kaya, the co-mayor of Amed’s Ergani district, who was arrested at the same time as Diken, has also been released. However, the court imposed a ban on leaving the country. Kaya’s mandate was revoked yesterday and a trustee was appointed in his place. In connection with election campaign events, his participation in press statements, protests against appointment of trustees to Kurdish municipalities and funeral service for Zülküf Gezen, who ended his own life in prison Tekirdağ a year ago in protest against the isolation of Abdullah Öcalan, Kaya is also accused of membership in a terrorist organization. It is still unclear when the trial against him will be opened.
Deposed co-mayor of Eğil remanded in custody
While the co-mayor of Eğil was remanded in custody, co-mayors of Lice and Silvan were sentenced to house arrest. Silvan co-mayor Naşide Toprak, Lice co-mayor Tarık Mercan and Eğil co-mayor Mustafa Akkul have been referred to court today after their removal from office and replacement by a trustee by the Ministry of Interior on Monday. The co-mayors are accused of “membership to an illegal organization”.
Silvan co-mayor Naşide Toprak and Lice co-mayor Tarık Mercan were released on condition of house arrest and ban on leaving the country, while Eğil co-mayor Mustafa Akkul was remanded in custody for alleged “membership to an illegal organization”.
House arrest for Co- Mayors Toprak and Mercan
Silvan Co-Mayor Naşide Toprak and Lice Co-Mayor Tarık Mercan were sentenced to house arrest by the court. Silvan Municipality Co-Mayor Naşide Toprak and Lice Municipality Co-Minister Tarık Mercan, who were dismissed with the decision of the Ministry of the Interior and were placed under custody was referred to court with the accusation of ‘being a member of an illegal organization’.
Diyarbakır Criminal Court of Peace sentenced both to house arrest with a ban to travel abroad.
Lice Co-Mayor Mercan detained
Lice Municipality Co-Mayor Tarık Mercan was detained. Following the appointment of a trustee to Diyarbakır’s Lice Municipality, Lice Municipality Co-Mayor Tarık Mercan was detained in Diyarbakır. It was learned that Mercan, who was detained by the police, was taken to the Diyarbakır Provincial Security Directorate.
WHAT HAPPENED?
While the Lice Municipality building of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) was blockaded by the police at 06:00 in the morning, the staff going to the city hall were not allowed into the building and sent back to their homes. While a warrant for the detention of Lice Municipality Co-Mayor Tarık Mercan was issued, Lice Municipality Co-Mayor Ruken Yılmaz said that the police raided the municipality in the morning.
Trustee appointed to HDP’s Güroymak Municipality
A trustee was appointed to Güroymak (Norşin) Municipality, which is under the management of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP), with the decision of the Ministry of Interior. The city hall was blockaded by the police in the evening and started to be searched. Instead of the dismissed mayors Hikmet Taşdemir and Dilek Ozan, Güroymak District Governor Muhammet Furkan Sancaktutar was appointed as a trustee.
TRUSTEES APPOINTED TO 40 OF THE 60 HDP MUNICIPALITIES
HDP had won 3 metropolitan municipalities, 5 provinces, 45 districts and 12 towns at the March 31 elections. With the last appointment of trustees, 40 of the 65 municipalities won by HDP were replaced with trustees, 3 of which was metropolitan municipalities while the mayors of 2 province, 32 districts and 4 towns were also replaced by trustees.
