Ayşegül Doğan, the spokesperson for Turkey’s pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, has issued a strong statement condemning the Turkish government’s recent state appointment of Governor Ali Çelik as trustee to replace the Kurdish mayor of Hakkari (Colemêrg), Mehmet Sıddık Akış. In her speech, Doğan said, “We, the DEM party, call for the immediate transfer of authority back to the rightfully elected official.”
Doğan pointed out that after Akış’s arrest and removal from office, Viyan Tekçe was the deputy mayor elected by the majority of the DEM party members in Hakkari Municipality Council, that Viyan Tekçe was declared by the acting mayor by the city council, and thus that Viyan Tekçe was the legitimate official to cover Akış’s role, negating the need for a state-appointed trustee.
In her statement, Doğan called on the authorities to “end this regime where the elected are replaced by state officials, ignoring the will of both the elected and the electorate.”
Doğan strongly criticised the practice of appointing ‘trustees’ to municipalities in Kurdish-majority cities, which has become more common since 2018. She noted the concern of the Turkish public that this practice could spread beyond the Kurdish regions. “We say that there is no difference between the political representation and the will of those who vote in Hakkari and that of those who vote in Istanbul. We consider both to be sacred and valuable and we call on the authorities to respect both,” she said.
Akış, who was elected mayor of Hakkari on 31 March 2024, was arrested on terrorism charges and removed from office by the Turkish government on 2 June. On 3 June, the Interior Ministry announced that Akış had been replaced by Ali Çelik, who is also the governor of Hakkari. Akış, who won 48.92% of the vote as the candidate of the DEM Party, was sentenced to 19 years and six months imprisonment on 6 June.
Ali Çelik, the new trustee appointed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), had been appointed trustee before, and was accused at the end of his term of financial irregularities and mismanagement. According to reports, Çelik had used a significant part of the municipality’s budget to finance the AKP’s next election campaign.
In the wake of these controversial events, public demonstrations have spread across the country. Protests broke out in Hakkari, Ankara and Istanbul following the arrest of Mayor Akış. Politicians from pro-Kurdish opposition parties gathered in Van (Wan) to denounce the appointment of the trustee, saying it was a serious violation of Kurdish democratic rights. Daily vigils have been held in Istanbul’s Şişhane Square, with participants demanding justice and the upholding of democratic principles.
The Turkish government’s appointment of a trustee in Hakkari has been strongly criticised both domestically and internationally. The DEM party immediately condemned the arrest and replacement of Mayor Akış, while the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) criticised the government’s actions as “an act of intolerance towards democracy”. EU officials, including EU Turkey rapporteur Nacho Sánchez Amor and German MEP Max Lucks, also condemned the practice, calling it a blatant attack on democratic principles.
Hakkari’s remaining co-mayor Viyan Tekçe, has called for resistance against the appointment of a state trustee, underlining the undemocratic nature of the Turkish government’s decision. “Today is the day to stand up against the trustee and show that we do not recognise the plundering trustee mentality,” Tekçe declared.
