Sur District Co-Mayors Arrested
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Filiz Buluttekin and Cemal Özdemir, Sur District Co-Mayors in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakır, have been arrested.
Detained in house raids on December 20, Buluttekin and Özdemir were referred to courthouse after the related formalities were completed at the Anti-Terror Branch of Diyarbakır Security Directorate.
Taking their depositions, the prosecutor's office referred Buluttekin and Özdemir to court and requested their arrest.
The court has ruled that Buluttekin and Özdemir shall be arrested on charge of "being members of a terrorist organization".
CLICK - HDP's Sur District Co-Mayor Detained
Police blockade in front of courthouse
Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) members protested the arrest of Sur Co-Mayors in front of the courthouse. Police officers prevented their protest by imposing a blockade around the protesters.
Following the procedures of deposition at the courthouse, Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Saliha Aydeniz, HDP Diyarbakır Provincial Co-Chair Zeyat Ceylan, Sur Municipal Council members and HDP executives wanted to make a statement in front of the courthouse.
Blockading the group, the police removed journalists away from the area. Encircled by police, DBP Co-Chair Saliha Aydeniz made a statement. Her words could be heard thanks to a microphone left in police blockade.
Aydeniz said, "Our Sur Co-Mayor Filiz Buluttekin and Cemal Özdemir were held in detention for days. Everyone already knows how they were detained. That a 10-year-old child was taken into custody with a gun to his head indicates how the law and justice are trampled upon in this country."
24 co-mayors behind bars
Making a statement on December 17 after main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) İzmir Urla Mayor Burak Oğuz was arrested, HDP Vice Co-Chair for Local Administrations Salim Kaplan announced that the co-mayors of HDP's 28 municipalities were replaced with state-appointed trustees and 22 co-mayors were arrested.
Accordingly, of the HDP's co-mayors elected in the last local elections on March 31, 24 co-mayors are currently behind bars. (EKN/SD)
* Source: Mezopotamya Agency