Locals braved freezing temperatures to stage sit-ins and marches outside the municipal buildings in Bahçesaray (Miks), a district of Van (WAN), Turkey, led by elected co-mayors and opposition figures. Nebahat Benek, co-mayor of Bahçesaray, declared that the will of the people had been usurped, saying, “This is not governance; this is oppression. The Kurdish people will not be silenced.”
The removal of elected officials and trustee appointment in Bahçesaray follows similar actions in multiple Kurdish-majority municipalities, including Hakkari (Colemêrg), Mardin (Mêrdîn), Batman (Êlih) and Halfeti (Xelfetî) in southeast Turkey, fuelling widespread accusations that the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its coalition partner, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), are targeting Kurdish self-governance. In Cizre (Cizîr), protestors unfurled banners proclaiming “Trustees are a coup against the will pf the people ” and chanting, “Resistance is life!” Nurcan Altürk, the provincial co-chair of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, criticised the AKP’s policy, stating, “You cannot break the spirit of the Kurdish people. This is not about governance; it’s about domination.”
Critics argue that trustee appointments are not only undemocratic but also exacerbate socio-economic challenges in affected regions. Nebahat Benek pointed to Bahçesaray’s declining population, stating, “People are leaving because the government offers fear and oppression instead of jobs and opportunities.” Van (Wan) Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Abdullah Zeydan highlighted financial mismanagement under government trusteeships, saying, “These so-called trustees have siphoned off public resources to their cronies. Meanwhile, the people they claim to serve continue to endure poverty.”
Speakers at the protests invoked the historical resilience of the Kurdish people. DEM Party Van co-chair Veysi Dilekçi said, “Bahçesaray, the homeland of [Kurdish poet] Feqiyê Teyran, has never bowed to tyranny. The people will resist as their ancestors did.” Dilekçi also noted that the trustee appointment is just the latest chapter in a longstanding effort to suppress Kurdish political autonomy, adding, “These actions only deepen the divide. True peace requires respect for the will of all communities.”
National and international human rights groups have repeatedly criticised Turkey’s use of trusteeships, viewing them as a violation of democratic norms and minority rights. Since 2016, dozens of municipalities won by pro-Kurdish parties have been taken over by trustees. Despite legal battles and calls for dialogue, Ankara has remained steadfast, citing security concerns to justify its actions. Critics argue this rationale masks an agenda of political suppression.
As the demonstrations concluded, speakers urged solidarity among Turkey’s diverse communities. DEM Party MP for Iğdır, Yılmaz Hun, said, “An attack on democracy anywhere is an attack on democracy everywhere. Together, we must reclaim our collective rights.” The protesters reiterated their commitment to democracy, chanting, “The trustees will go; the people will prevail.”
