People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) Co-Chairs Tuncer Bakırhan and Tülay Hatimoğulları have strongly criticised the decision to appoint the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate as mayor instead of Abdullah Zeydan, who won the mayoral race for the Van (Wan) metropolitan municipality in Sunday’s local elections, describing the action as a political coup.
Key points from the DEM Party co-leaders
Tuncer Bakırhan:
– Denounces the withholding of Zeydan’s election certificate as a continuation of the political coups that were previously carried out by trustees and are now being attempted by judicial means under the existing laws.
– Highlighted the unprecedented electoral success of the DEM party in Van, which won all 14 municipalities in the region with significant voter support, suggesting that this victory was met with discomfort by some.
– Accuses the Ministry of Justice of trying to usurp the will of the people, stressing that the legality of Zeydan’s candidacy had been confirmed by both the local election board and the Supreme Electoral Board (YSK) without objection during the two-day appeal period.
– Calls for an end to what he sees as persecution of the Kurdish will and the people of Van and insists on the protection of their right to vote.
Tülay Hatimoğulları:
– Echos Bakırhan’s statements, claiming that the legal procedures and checks for Zeydan, whose candidacy was officially accepted without any objections, had been completed without any problems.
– Criticises the timing of the controversy, coming just 48 hours before the elections, saying it was unacceptable and a clear case of a political coup.
– Highlights the discrepancy between the treatment of voters and elected officials in Kurdish cities and elsewhere, and calls for the will of the people as expressed through the ballot box to be respected.
– Announces plans for a legal challenge against the decision and calls for solidarity from all democratic forces in Turkey to stand with the people of Van against this injustice.
The co-chairs of the DEM Party stood up against what they described as an illegal and undemocratic attempt to invalidate the election results in Van. By planning to file a formal complaint and calling for nationwide support, they aim to fight for the restoration of Zeydan’s election certificate and, by extension, respect for the electoral will of the people of Van.
The situation highlights ongoing tensions in Turkish politics, particularly over the rights and representation of Kurdish communities and the use of legal mechanisms in political conflicts.
