Turkish Government Dismisses Three Kurdish Mayors on Charges of 'Terrorism Links'

Despite expressing a desire to improve relations with the Kurdish population in Turkey, the Turkish government has dismissed three Kurdish mayors in Kurdish-majority regions on charges of 'links to terrorism.' On Monday, November 14, the Turkish Ministry of Interior announced that the mayors of the cities of Mardin, Batman, and Kızıltepe, located in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa near the Syrian border, were removed from their positions and replaced by officials appointed by the central government. All three dismissed mayors are members of the 'People's Equality and Democracy Party,' a pro-Kurdish rights party, and were elected in the April elections when opposition candidates won in many municipalities, including Istanbul. The Ministry's statement accused the three mayors of various charges, including membership in armed groups and propaganda in favor of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the EU. The People's Equality and Democracy Party, which enjoys significant support in Kurdish regions, condemned the Ministry's decision as a 'severe attack on the right of residents in Kurdish areas to participate and run in elections.' The party added, 'The government is once again trying to compensate for its electoral defeat through judicial and police pressures.' One of the dismissed mayors, 82-year-old Ahmet Türk, is a prominent politician who has been removed from the Mardin mayoralty twice before. He was sentenced to ten years in prison earlier this year on charges of 'membership in the PKK and participation in protests in 2014,' but continued to serve as mayor until the outcome of his appeal was determined. The Turkish government has declared gatherings and protests in these cities illegal. Nevertheless, the mayor of Mardin urged people to gather in front of the municipality building to protest this decision. Governors appointed by the government in Kurdish provinces, including Diyarbakır, have banned gatherings at least until Wednesday. However, according to AFP, around two thousand people protested this government decision, warning in their slogans that if the Kurdish mayors were dismissed, there would be no negotiations or reconciliation with the government. Last Wednesday, another mayor from Istanbul, who is a member of the Republican People's Party, was arrested on charges of links to the PKK. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly indicated the government's desire to improve relations with the Kurds this year; however, reports of increased pressure on parties and politicians representing the Kurdish minority have emerged in recent months.