Trustees Appointed to 15 HDP Municipalities Since Local Elections on March 31

* Photos: Anadolu Agency

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The Ministry of Interior released a statement on August 19 and announced that Metropolitan Mayors of Diyarbakır, Van and Mardin were dismissed on the ground that there are ongoing investigations against them.

Since then, the number of trustee-appointed Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Provincial and District Municipalities has been constantly surging. As of today (November 4), trustees have been appointed in place of 15 elected HDP mayors since the last local elections on March 31.

Most of these dismissed mayors were then either taken into custody or arrested on terror-related charges.

The 15 trustee-appointed municipalities are as follows:

* Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van

Selçuk Mızraklı

HDP's Dr. Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı was elected as the Metropolitan Mayor of Diyarbakır by receiving 62.93 percent of the votes in March 31 elections. One of the opponents of Mızraklı in these elections was Cumali Atilla, who was previously appointed as a trustee in place of Gülten Kışanak, the then Metropolitan Mayor of Diyarbakır, and was the candidate of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in March 31 elections.

Staying in office for around five months, Mızraklı was removed from office by a decree of the Ministry of Interior on August 19 on the ground that there was an ongoing investigation against him. Hasan Basri Güzeloğlu, the Governor of Diyarbakır, has been appointed as a trustee.

Taken into custody on October 21, when Turkey's Operation Peace Spring into northern Syria was still continuing, Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı has been arrested on charges of "membership of a terrorist organization" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization".

While Selçuk Mızraklı received 490 thousand 590 votes (62.93 percent) in March 31 elections, AKP's Cumali Atilla, his closest opponent, received 249 thousand 938 votes (30.99 percent).

Ahmet Türk

Elected as the Metropolitan Mayor of Mardin in local elections in 2014, Ahmet Türk was removed from office for the second time by a decree of the Ministry of Interior on August 19.

Entering local elections as an independent candidate in 2014, Ahmet Türk was first dismissed on November 17, 2016 and Governor of Mardin Mustafa Yaman was appointed as a trustee in his place. Ahmet Türk was then arrested on November 24, 2016.

Released from prison on February 3, 2017, Türk entered March 31 local elections as a rival of AKP's Mehmet Vecdi Kahraman. Receiving 2018 thousand 854 votes (56.24 percent), Türk was elected as the Metropolitan Mayor of Mardin on March 31. AKP's Mehmet Vecdi Kahraman received 143 thousand 60 votes in those elections.

Dismissing Ahmet Türk on August 19, around five months after the last local elections, the Ministry of Interior has again appointed Mardin Governor Mustafa Yaman as a trustee in his place.

Bedia Özgökçe Ertan

On August 19, Bedia Özgökçe Ertan, HDP's Van Metropolitan Mayor, was also removed from office by the decree of Ministry of Interior. Van Governor Mehmet Emin Bilmez has been appointed as a trustee in her place.

However, it was not the first time that a trustee was appointed to the Metropolitan Municipality of Van. On November 17, 2016, elected Metropolitan Mayor of Van Bekir Kaya was dismissed and Van Governor İbrahim Taşyapan was appointed as a trustee in his place.

In March 31 local elections, Özgökçe Ertan received 260 thousand 495 votes (53.83 percent) while her closest rival Necdet Takva received 40.51 percent of votes, accounting for a margin of 64 thousand.

CLICK - Metropolitan Mayors of Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van Removed from Office

* Hakkari / Yüksekova / Nusaybin

Cihan Karaman

Detained and arrested on charges of "membership of a terrorist organization" and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" on October 15, HDP's Hakkari Mayor Cihan Karaman was removed from office on October 18 and Hakkari Governor idris Akbıyık has been appointed as a trustee.

In March 31 local elections, Karaman was elected as the Mayor by receiving 19 thousand 199 votes (59.97 percent).

Remziye Yaşar

Social media messages of Yüksekova District Co-Mayors İrfan Sarı and Remziye Yaşar from five years ago were counted as "terror propaganda".

As announced by the Governorship of Hakkari, Yüksekova District Governor Osman Doğramacı has been appointed as "Acting Mayor".

Remziye Yaşar received 20 thousand 250 votes (66.17 percent) in the local elections on March 31 and was elected as the Mayor of Yüksekova.

Semire Nergiz

Arrested as part of an investigation, HDP's Nusaybin District Mayor Semire Nergiz was dismissed and Nusaybin District Governor Mehmet Balıkçılar has been appointed in her place by the Governorship of Mardin.

In March 31 local elections, Nergiz was elected as the Mayor of Nusaybin by receiving 34 thousand 666 votes (77.42 percent).

CLICK - Co-Mayors of Hakkari, Nusaybin and Yüksekova Replaced with Trustees

* Kulp / Mehmet Fatih Taş

As part of an investigation launched into the explosion that claimed the lives of seven people in Kulp, Diyarbakır on September 17, HDP's Kulp Co-Mayors Mehmet Fatih Taş and Fatma Ay were arrested with three others.

Kulp District Governor Mustafa Gözlet has been appointed as a trustee in place of Kulp Co-Mayor Mehmet Fatih Taş.

Taş was elected as the District Mayor of Kulp by receiving 8 thousand 866 votes (49.97 percent) in March 31 elections.

* Kayapınar, Bismil and Kocaköy

Taken into custody as part of the operation, where Diyarbakır Metropolitan Mayor Selçuk Mızraklı was also detained on October 21, Kayapınar District Mayor Keziban Yılmaz, Bismil District Mayor Gülcan Özer and Kocaköy District Mayor Rojda Nazlıer were removed from office on October 22 and trustees have been appointed in their place.

While District Governor Ünal Koç has been appointed as the Acting Mayor in Kayapınar, District Governors Yasin Yunak and Kerem Süleyman have been appointed as Acting Mayors in the districts of Kocaköy and Bismil.

HDP's elected mayors received 71.43 percent of the votes in Bismil, 66.35 percent in Kayapınar and 61.67 percent in Kocaköy.

* Erciş / Yıldız Çetin

District Co-Mayors of Erciş Yıldız Çetin and Bayram Çiçek were detained in Van on October 15. A trustee was appointed in their place on October 21.

Nuri Mehmetbeyoğlu, the District Governor of Erciş, has been appointed as an Acting Mayor to the district.

Yıldız Çetin was elected as the Erciş Mayor by receiving 35 thousand 619 votes (49.71 percent) in March 31 elections.

* Karayazı / Melike Göksu

In Erzurum, shortly after the prison sentence of 7 years, 6 months given to Karayazı Co-Mayor Melike Göksu for "propagandizing for a terrorist organization" was upheld by the Court of Cassation, she was arrested on September 17, to be released on probation shortly afterwards.

However, Melike Göksu was removed from office and District Governor Mesut Tabakçıoğlu has been appointed as an Acting Mayor.

In the last local elections on March 31, Göksu received 61.83 percent of the votes and was elected as the Mayor of Karayazı.

* Cizre / Mehmet Zırığ

On October 29, HDP's Cizre District Mayor Mehmet Zırığ was removed from office on the ground that there were ongoing investigations against him and he was charged with "membership of a terrorist organization".

Cizre District Governor Davut Sinanoğlu has been appointed as an Acting Mayor by the Governorship of Şırnak.

Zırığ was elected by receiving 76.99 percent of the votes on March 31.

* Saray / Caziye Duman

Taken into custody on November 1 Caziye Duman, Saray District Co-Mayor in Van, was removed from office by the Ministry of Interior and District Governor Halis Aydın has been appointed as a trustee in her place.

In March 31 local elections, Caziye Duman was elected as the Mayor by receiving 61 percent of the votes.

* Kızıltepe / Nilüfer Elik Yılmaz

Lastly, Nilüfer Elik Yılmaz, the Co-Mayor of Kızıltepe in Mardin, was removed from office on November 4 and District Governor Hüseyin Çam has been appointed a trustee in her place.

HDP's Elik Yılmaz was elected as Kızıltepe Mayor in March 31 local elections by receiving 70.45 percent of the votes.

(HA/SD)