The dismissed co-mayor of the Kurdish-populated eastern province of Hakkari (Colemêrg), Mehmet Sıddık Akış, has been sentenced to 19 years and 6 months in prison for "managing a terrorist organization" after a retrial. The case was heard yesterday at the Hakkari 1st Heavy Penal Court
Akış was removed from office by the Interior Ministry on Jun 3 due to the charges against him and replaced by a state-appointed trustee. The Van Regional Court of Justice 2nd Penal Chamber had previously overturned his conviction, citing procedural flaws and insufficient evidence. The appeals court noted that Kurdish speech translations were not properly conducted and that the local court failed to specify which actions constituted a crime or establish an organic link to an organization.
Thirty-one opposition mayors removed from office since 2024 elections
Akış participated the hearing through videoconference from Van High Security Closed Prison. Lawyers and Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) Party lawmaker Vezir Coşkun Parlak attended the proceedings at the Hakkâri courthouse.
Akış rejected the allegations, stating that the case relied solely on secret witness testimonies without concrete evidence. "A secret witness claims I collected taxes. If such a situation existed, why was it not reported to state authorities at the time?" Akış asked. He argued that the statements were brought forward years later to seize the will of the people.
The dismissed mayor also requested that voice recordings be sent to Mardin Artuklu University for accurate translation, but the court did not grant the request. "They want to silence those they could not defeat at the ballot box through the judiciary," Akış said, describing the trial as an attack on democracy.
Erdoğan signals end to state takeovers of pro-Kurdish municipalities after PKK disbands
Court maintains sentence
The court maintained its original sentence of 19 years and six months for Akış without addressing the specific evidentiary concerns raised by the appeals court. Ten other defendants were also sentenced. İzzet Belge, Hıfzullah Kansu, Kadriye İlbaş, Mikail Atan, Seyhan Şahin, and Faruk Yıldız received eight years and nine months for membership in an organization. Tahir Koç, Hüsna Sağın, and Hamdiye Çiftçi Öksüz were sentenced to six years and three months.
Following the ruling, protesters gathered in front of the courthouse. DEM Party lawmaker Parlak criticized the decision, stating that a case opened in 2009 was revived 16 years later to justify the appointment of a trustee. He described the proceedings as being based on empty indictments and unlawfully obtained records, claiming the judiciary has been politicized against the Kurdish people.
Municipal takeovers in Kurdish regions
Since the 2024 local elections, in which the DEM Party won 11 city municipalities, the government has appointed trustees to take over six of them, citing legal proceedings or investigations against the elected mayors. Several district mayors from DEM have also been suspended on similar grounds.
Over the past decade, DEM and its predecessors have been subject to similar policies, with elected officials frequently removed from office over terrorism-related charges. Turkish law allows the Interior Ministry to temporarily suspend local officials under investigation or prosecution. However, this has often translated into permanent dismissals in practice.
In May 2025, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan suggested that the government could end its practice of taking over municipalities due to the ongoing peace process.
(AEK/VK)
