Justice Minister Statement on Trustee Appointment to Municipalities

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Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ on his Twitter account has made statements as to trustee appointment to 28 municipalities.

In response to criticisms that governors and sub-governors have been appointed to the posts of elected mayors, Bozdağ responded briefly as follows:

"Today (September 11), trustees were appointed to certain municipalities on the grounds that they support terror and terror organizations.

"In democratic law states, the mayors/assembly members that are acceded by election have to carry out their duty in accordance with the law.

"Should mayors/assembly members finance terror with the money sent for serving people, use municipality vehicles, equipments and means in terror acts, they lose their democratic legitimacy.

"For this reason, appointing trustee to the municipalities is looking after nation's will, nation's law, democracy, in short, it is looking after the democratic law state.

"Being elected doesn't grant the elected the right and authority to commit crime. No one can say 'they are elected, they can do whatever they want be it a crime or not'.

"Turkey will continue its effective and determinate fight against terror within legal rules". (ÇT/TK)