Co-Mayors of Dersim, Siirt Municipalities Taken into Custody

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Co-Mayors of Dersim Municipality Mehmet Ali Bul and Nurhayat Altun as well as the co-Mayor of Siirt Municipality Tuncer Bakırhan have been taken into custody in house raids carried out towards this morning (November 16).

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) co-Chair Arslan Çağ, Labour Party (EMEP) co-Chair Mustafa Taşkale, HDP caucus member Ali Ekber Kaya, HDP executives Hüseyin Dağdevirenand Yaşar Ağın, Municipal Council member Cemile Ataş, Confederation on Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK) Dersim Bureau co-Chair Şükran Yılmaz as well as White-Collar Worker's Union (BES) Dersim Representative Musa Kılıç were taken into custody in Dersim.

The reason for the detentions in Dersim were explained as the demonstrations held in front of the municipality building in protest of the detentions of HDP co-Chairs and Deputies. The municipality in its statement has also noted that according to the informations they had obtained, the house raids would continue.

On October 28, a trustee was appointed to the Siirt Municipality. Municipality co-Mayor Bakırhan was in prison for 1,5 years as a part of the operations against Kurdistan Communities Union.

As of today (November 16) there are 33 co-Mayors from Democratic Regions Party who are arrested. Four of these are Vice Mayors elected to replace other co-Mayors who were arrested before. (ÇT/DG)