HDP’s Eğil Co-Mayor Arrested

* Photo: Mezopotamya Agency (MA)

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Taken into custody on Monday (March 23), Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır Eğil Co-Mayor Mustafa Akkul has been arrested on charge of "membership of a [terrorist] organization."

Detained along with Akkul, HDP's Diyarbakır Lice Co-Mayor Tarık Mercan and Silvan Co-Mayor Naşide Toprak have been released with an international travel ban and on the condition of not leaving their houses.

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), Silvan Co-Mayor Toprak, Lice Co-Mayor Mercan and Eğil Co-Mayor Akkul were referred to Diyarbakır Courthouse after the formalities were completed at Diyarbakır Provincial Security Directorate. Deposing to the prosecutor's office on charge of "membership of an organization", Toprak, Mercan and Akkul were then referred to the Penal Judgeship of Peace with a request for their arrest.

While the judgeship has released Silvan Co-Mayor Naşide Toprak and Lice Co-Mayor Tarık Mercan on probation, Eğil Co-Mayor Mustafa Akkul has been arrested on charge of "membership of an organization."

Statement of anonymous witness "2019-20"

As reported by the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA), the statement of a anonymous witness named "2019-20" was also added to Akkul's file.

The witness argued that Süleyman Çetinkaya, the son of Fevziye Çetinkaya, who has been staging a sit-in protest in front of HDP Diyarbakır Office, told him/her that before he joined the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), he went to the municipality building and met Akkul for around an hour there.

The witness reportedly stated: "From an acquaintance of mine working at the municipality, I heard that the HDP's candidate for Eğil Mayorship was Gülistan Ensarioğlu, Akkul was nominated afterwards due to his relations with the PKK terrorist organization, Akkul was nominated after he went to and returned from Northern Iraq in the nomination process and a person named R.B. was assigned by the PKK with checking his activities.

"I think that Çetinkaya was brought to the PKK terrorist organization to recruit terrorists for the PKK. Çetinkaya disappeared one day after he met Akkul."

From the investigation file...

The investigation file of Mustafa Akkul also indicated that he went to Northern Iraq for three times between 2015 and 2019 and he was accused of going to Qandil to make self-defense and give activity reports.

He was also accused of observing a moment of silence for PKK members and "propagandizing for a terrorist organization by arguing that [imprisoned PKK leader] Abdullah Öcalan is kept in isolation."

First detention, then trustee on the same day

In an operation that was conducted in early morning hours on March 23, Batman Co-Mayors Mehmet Demir and Songül Korkmaz, Silvan Co-Mayor Naşide Toprak, Ergani Co-Mayor Ahmet Kaya, Eğil Co-Mayor Mustafa Akkul, dismissed Yenişehir Co-Mayor Belgin Diken, Batman Vice Co-Mayors Şehriban Aydın and Salih Çetinkaya, Batman Municipal Assembly Co-Spokespersons Şükran Çelebi and Recep Yargı were taken into custody.

In evening hours on the same day, the Ministry of Interior has appointed trustees to the Batman Municipality; Diyarbakır's District Municipalities of Ergani, Eğil, Lice, Silvan; Iğdır's District Municipality of Halfeli; and Siirt's District Municipality of Gökçebağ.

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(EKN/SD)

* Sources: MA, AA