Mehmet Sıddık Akış, the deposed Kurdish co-mayor of Hakkari (Colemêrg), was sentenced to 19 years and 6 months in prison by the Hakkari 1st High Criminal Court on 6 June.
The sentence comes just 24-hours after Akış was arrested and immediately replaced by a government-appointed trustee, marking another instance in a broader pattern where local elected Kurdish officials are removed from their posts under various pretexts.
In court, Akış vehemently maintained his innocence, stating, “I stand tall, having fought all my life and will continue to do so. I have never fled, I stand by everything I have done, politically and otherwise,” underscoring his lifelong commitment to peace, brotherhood, and justice. Despite his requests for a new indictment and questions over the delayed trial, he faced accusations of being a member of a terrorist organisation.
The defence criticised the reliance on secret witnesses, arguing their statements were legally invalid and that years of delays had left the case in limbo. The court’s decision came after rejecting further defence requests for time, amid claims by prosecutors seeking penalties based on these disputed testimonies.
During his final remarks, Akış also touched on cultural and linguistic misrepresentations, stating, “All my speeches were translated by those who do not speak Kurdish, leading to serious discrepancies in the portrayal of my words.” He challenged the integrity of his trial, declaring, “This trial is political. I am proud to be Kurdish and have served my community honestly.”
In a tumultuous session in the Turkish parliament on Tuesday, members of the pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party initiated a protest against the recent appointment of a trustee to replace Mehmet Sıddık Akış as the mayor of Hakkari. This demonstration quickly escalated when MPs from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), in tandem with their ultra-nationalist ally Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), attempted to seize banners from DEM Party members, leading to physical altercations on the parliament floor.
In response to the situation in Hakkari, a delegation from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) visited Hakkari to show solidarity with the DEM Party. The CHP has consistently criticised the government’s approach to handling dissent and local governance, labelling the use of trustees to replace elected officials as undemocratic and an abuse of legal mechanisms. The CHP spokesperson, during the visit, reiterated the party’s commitment to democratic values and criticised the government’s ongoing strategy of sidelining elected Kurdish officials through legal and administrative interventions.
A key witness, known only by the pseudonym ‘Oyun Bozan’ (Killjoy), later revealed that his testimony was coerced by police threats and manipulation. This testimony was instrumental in Akış’s arrest and the justification for the trustee’s appointment.
