Erem Kansoy
European authorities are increasingly reacting to the fiduciary policies of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), which continue to usurp the will of the people.
Marc Cools, President of the Council of Europe’s (CoE) Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, issued an official statement on the Turkish authorities’ recent decision to dismiss the elected mayors of four municipalities – Mardin (Merdîn), Batman (Elîh), Halfeti (Xelfetî) and Esenyurt – and replace them with trustees appointed by the Interior Ministry:
“I express my grave concern about the recent decisions of the Turkish authorities to dismiss the elected mayors of four municipalities (Mardin, Batman, Halfeti and Esenyurt), and to replace them with governors appointed by the Ministry of Interior.
Following the case of the mayor of Hakkari in June 2024, these dismissals constitute the most recent application of the long-standing practice of appointing trustees, considered by the Congress and the Venice Commission as undermining the very nature of local democracy. Indeed, these mayors were elected by Turkish voters during the local elections held on 31 March 2024, which were observed by the Congress.
Only last month, the Congress pointed out, in Recommendation 519(2024), the need to abolish this practice and called on the authorities to ensure that ineligibility of candidates is assessed prior to the elections and based on a final criminal conviction. In the event of a mayor’s dismissal, municipal councils should be able to choose a replacement mayor. The Congress looks forward to pursuing its political dialogue with the Turkish authorities to ensure the implementation of this recommendation.”
Cools’ response followed comments from Nacho Sanchez Amor, the European Parliament’s Rapporteur on Turkey, in a post on X, criticising Turkey’s latest removal of elected Kurdish mayors and urging a strong EU response. Amor later described the trustee policy as “a blatant violation of democracy”, in an exclusive Medya News interview.
