Four Dismissed HDP Mayors Given House Arrest

Photo: Mezopotamya Agency

Click to read the article in Turkish

Dismissed co-mayors from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) and municipal employees were released from detention after appearing before a court today (May 19).

Siirt Co-Mayor Berivan Helen Işık, Baykan District Mayors Ramazan Sarsılmaz and Özden Gülmez and Kurtalan District Co-Mayor Baran Akgül have been sentenced to house arrest, the Mezopotamya Agency reported.

Siirt Co-Mayor Peyman Dara Turhan, Kurtalan Co-Mayor Esmer Baran and employees of the Siirt Municipality, Eşref Tekin Beşir Aksu, and Gülçin Köneş, and Resul Kaçar, who was stripped of his mandate after being elected, have been released on the condition of "judicial control."

The co-mayors of five HDP municipalities were dismissed from their posts on Friday (May 15) by the Ministry of Interior on the ground of ongoing investigations against them and were detained by the police on the same day. Two of them, Iğdır Co-Mayor Yaşar Akkuş and Altınova Town Mayor Casim Bucak were later remanded in custody. 

The co-mayors and employees are charged with "membership of a terrorist organization" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization."

Photo: AA

After leaving the courthouse, the dismissed co-mayors and party members were greeted with applause by those who were waiting for them. The police did not allow the co-mayors to make a statement for the press due to a "demonstration ban."

HDP Parliamentary Group Deputy Chair Meral Danış-Beştaş had an argument with the police after they didn't show the ban order by the governor's office. The party members later went to the party's provincial building. Making a statement there, Danış-Beştaş said, "The unlawfulness is continuing even if the co-mayors are released. As long as there are trustees appointed to our municipalities, we will continue to resist and fight."

Since the local elections in March 2019, the Ministry of Interior has taken over 45 municipalities run by the HDP in the mostly Kurdish-populated eastern and southeastern regions. The HDP won 65 municipalities in the elections. According to the Law No. 5393 on Municipalities, the Ministry of Interior has the authority to suspend a mayor if there is a criminal investigation against him or her until the investigation is concluded. (EMK/VK)