Akdeniz Co-Mayor Mutlu Arrested

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15 people including Mersin’s district of Akdeniz Co-Mayor Yüksel Mutlu from the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) and Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Mersin Provincial Co-Chair Sadun Doğan were arrested last night.

Mutlu was detained on December 12, and on December 18, the district’s sub-Governor was appointed as trustee to the municipality.

As of December 26, there are 70 co-mayors from 46 DBP-governed municipalities are imprisoned.

It was one of the five municipalities pledging LGBTI friendly municipal work

Before March 30, 2014 Local Elections, the Social Policies Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association (SPoD) had prepared LGBTI Friendly Municipality Work Protocol to remind the local administrations of realizing LGBTI rights.

Akdeniz Municipality was one of the municipalities signing the protocol.

Akdeniz Municipality Cultural Social Works Directorate and Women and Family Directorate had established Gender Equality unit within the body of the municipality.

Furthermore, trans activist Elif Tuna Şahin was employed in the municipality against discrimination in occupational life. (ÇT/TK)