Amid a broader campaign to replace elected leaders in Kurdish-majority municipalities with government-appointed trustees, Diyarbakır (Amed) Metropolitan Municipality has filed a criminal complaint against pro-government Yeni Şafak newspaper and journalist Aybike Eroğlu on Monday. The municipality accuses them of fabricating stories to undermine and discredit local administrations in an effort to justify trustee appointments.
The specific article in question, published on Sunday and titled ‘Kandil Diyarbakır’a kayyum atamış’, (Qandil has appointed a trustee to Diyarbakır) is alleged by the municipality to contain false accusations and target municipal officials unfairly. The insinuation here is that the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Qandil-based organisation banned in Turkey, has influenced or orchestrated the election of the mayor in Diyarbakır.
According to the complaint submitted to the Diyarbakır Public Prosecutor’s Office, the article violates the principles of justice, targets individuals and breaches the rights of personality and presumption of innocence.
In response to what they describe as an orchestrated media assault linked to the trustee appointment strategy with biased and malicious media practices, Diyarbakır co-mayors Serra Bucak and Doğan Hatun expressed serious concerns that such reports are part of a concerted effort to justify the replacement of democratically elected officials with trustees. They highlighted the need for a thorough examination of these claims.
Moreover, Diyarbakır has escalated its defence against these allegations by also approaching the Press Council. They called for an investigation into Yeni Şafak and Eroğlu for multiple violations of “professional press principles”, emphasising the need for media accountability in reporting on sensitive political and administrative issues.