Ministry of Interior Dismisses Three Municipal Council Members from HDP in Diyarbakır District

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The Ministry of Interior has dismissed three municipal council members from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) of Bağlar district in the Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakır.

Zeki Kanay, Ramazan Özçelik and Nursel Örnek were dismissed due to ongoing "terrorism-related" investigations and lawsuits against them, according to the ministry. The councilors were not notified about their dismissals, the Jin News Agency reported.

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Bağlar District Governorship sent a letter to Bağlar Municipality about the dismissals.

The Ministry of Interior previously dismissed six members of the Bağlar Municipal Council, replacing them with various government officers who are employed in the city.

The HDP won 30 of the 37 seats of Bağlar's municipal council in the March 31 local elections.

The government has dismissed or arrested numerous co-mayors and municipal councilors from the HDP since the elections. (EMK/VK)