Protests Continue Against Mayor Dismissals

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The protests that began after the Interior Ministry ousted three mayors from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) continued yesterday (August 2).

The mayors of mostly Kurdish-populated Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van cities who took office in the 31 March local elections, were dismissed on 19 August on the grounds that they were being investigated for terrorism.

CLICK - Dismissed HDP Mayors Respond to Allegations

Mardin: Protest with songs

In Mardin, protests took place at the Karayolları Park. The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Mardin provincial organization, HDP deputies and citizens participated in the sit-in protest.

HDP Batman MP Necdet İpekyüz made a statement for the press in the park where police had taken heavy security measures.

Saying that they call the appointment of trustees to three metropolitan municipalities a "coup," he remarked, "The law in this country is broken every day. Those who want to express their thoughts were constantly tried to be blocked," he said.

After the announcement, the crowd marched to the HDP provincial building, chanting "We will win by resistance" and "Mardin is ours" in Turkish and Kurdish.

Diyarbakır: "Don't touch my will"

A sit-in was also staged in Diyarbakır. It was attended by HDP MPs and members of the district municipal councils, as well as a large number of citizens. The group unfurled a banner reading "Don't Touch My Will" during the protest.

Citizens told their thoughts on trustee appointments at a speaker's corner.

Van: " No future without social peace"

The protests in Van were held in front of the HDP İpekyolu District Organization building. HDP MPs, municipal co-chairpeople and citizens participated in the demonstration.

Speaking there, HDP Van MP Muazzez Orhan described the appointments as a coup and said they would not accept this.

"The one-party and guardianship government, which does not see the people's will as legitimate and does not accept it, has usurped the people's will with a political coup. You are carrying this country to the edge of a dark abyss by putting the people and the democratic sections under pressure with force, oppression and violence, with war policies that do not recognize the will of the people in this country, trying to rule the country through political coups."

"There will be no future for a Turkey where there is no social peace, the will of the Kurdish people is not recognized and the Kurdish issue is not resolved," Orhan said:

"For the unity of the peoples, democracy and the establishment of peace, a peaceful and democratic solution of the Kurdish issue, which is the main problem of this country, needs a democratic solution.

"The AKP government and the still continue to oppress all other opposition groups and ignore the popular will by defending this plunder, this corruption, this theft. To ignore this means that peace and peace will not come to this country and that the future of this country will be plunged into darkness." (HA/VK)