* Photo: AA
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Trustees have been appointed to the Peoples' Democratic Party's Municipalities of Bulanık, Varto and Erentepe in Turkey's eastern province of Muş and to the main opposition Republican People's Party's (CHP) District Municipality of Urfa in the western province of İzmir.
Detained as part of an investigation conducted by the Muş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office yesterday (December 17) and still held in custody, Bulanık District Co-Mayor Adnan Topçu, Varto District Co-Mayor Ülkü Karaaslan Baytaş and Erentepe Town Co-Mayor Dilaver Kesik have been replaced with state-appointed trustees by the Ministry of Interior.
Arrested on charge of "being a member of the FETÖ terrorist organization"* on December 16, CHP's Urla Mayor İbrahim Burak Oğuz has also been dismissed and replaced with a trustee by the ministry.
Varto Sub-governor Ertuğrul Avcı has been appointed as a trustee to the Municipality of Varto, Bulanık Sub-governor Mehmet İlidi has been appointed as a trustee to the District Municipality of Bulanık and its Town Municipality of Erentepe and Urla Sub-governor Önder Can has been appointed as a trustee to the District Municipality of Urla.
Trustees appointed to 32 municipalities
The Ministry of Interior has replaced the co-mayors of 31 HDP municipalities with trustees since the last local elections on March 31, 2019. With the trustee appointed to the CHP's Urla Municipality, the following 32 mayors have been dismissed so far:
- Diyarbakır Metropolitan Co-Mayor Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı
- Mardin Metropolitan Co-Mayor Ahmet Türk
- Van Metropolitan Co-Mayor Bedia Özgökçe Ertan
- Hakkari Co-Mayor Cihan Karaman
- Yüksekova Co-Mayor Remziye Yaşar
- Nusaybin Co-Mayor Semire Nergiz
- Kulp Co-Mayor Mehmet Fatih Taş
- Kayapınar Co-Mayor Keziban Yılmaz
- Bismil Co-Mayor Gülcan Özer
- Kocaköy Co-Mayor Rojda Nazlıer
- Erciş Co-Mayor Yıldız Çetin
- Karayazı Co-Mayor Melike Göksu
- Cizre Co-Mayor Mehmet Zırığ
- Saray Co-Mayor Caziye Duman
- Kızıltepe Co-Mayor Nilüfer Elik Yılmaz
- Yenişehir Co-Mayor Belgin Diken
- Hazro Co-Mayor Ahmet Çevik
- İdil Co-Mayor Songül Erden
- Akpazar Town Co-Mayor Orhan Çelebi
- İpekyolu Co-Mayor Azim Yacan
- Savur Co-Mayor Gülistan Öncü
- Mazıdağı Co-Mayor Nalan Özaydın
- Derik Co-Mayor Mülkiye Esmez
- Suruç Co-Mayor Hatice Çevik
- Bulanık Co-Mayor Adnan Topçu
- Varto Co-Mayor Ülkü Karaaslan Baytaş
- Erentepe Town Co-Mayor Dilaver Kesik
- Urla Mayor İbrahim Burak Oğuz (CHP)
Arrests in 7 municipalities
Of the dismissed HDP Co-Mayors, the following have been arrested:
Muradiye Co-Mayor Yılmaz Şalan and Özalp Co-Mayors Dilan Örenci and Yakup Almaç, Suruç Co-Mayor Hatice Çevik, İpekyolu Co-Mayors Azim Yacan and Şehzade Kurt, Diyarbakır Metropolitan Co-Mayor Adnan Selçuk Mızraklı, Kızıltepe Co-Mayor Nilüfer Elik Yılmaz and Urla Mayor İbrahim Burak Oğuz. (TP/SD)
* Fethullahist Terrorist Organization (FETÖ), which is held accountable for the failed coup attempt on July 15, 2016.
