Bülent Tekbıyıkoğlu, the governor of Tunceli and trustee of Tunceli Municipality had allegedly decided to resign on May 19 after the commemoration took place in the region for PKK executives Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun.
The local opposition Halk TV reported that the former governor was instructed to allow the commemoration to proceed by the government in Ankara, seemingly as part of the ongoing peace negotiations between the state and the PKK.
According to Now Haber's Alican Uludağ, Tekbıyıkoğlu submitted a petition to the Interior Ministry and asked to be transferred to the center.
In its statement regarding their dissolution on May 12, the PKK confirmed for the first time that Ali Haydar Kaytan and Rıza Altun died around 2018-2019.
Tekbıyıkoğlu had served as governor since August 2023.
Deputy appointed in his place
The Interior Ministry made a statement on the issue. The Ministry announced that Tunceli Governor Bülent Tekbıyıkoğlu has been placed under the command of the Interior Ministry, and Deputy Governor Ertuğrul Aslan has been appointed in his place.
What happened?
Cevdet Konak, co-mayor of Dersim, was elected from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party with 40.22 % of the votes in the local elections of March 31, 2024. The Interior Ministry suspended Konak from office, citing an investigation into “membership and propaganda for a terrorist organization”. On November 22, 2024, Tunceli Governor Bülent Tekbıyıkoğlu was appointed as trustee in Konak's place. Cevdet Konak was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison and banned from leaving the country.
(AB/DT)
