In a defiant response to Turkey’s appointment of trustees in Kurdish-majority cities on 4 November, the ousted co-mayors of Batman (Elîh) and Mardin (Mêrdîn) called on citizens to resist what they called an attack on democratic rights. Co-mayors Gülistan Sönük and Devrim Demir condemned the decision by the Interior Ministry, which removed elected officials from the pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, citing “security concerns”. Both leaders vowed to remain steadfast, urging the public to stand with them in defence of voters’ rights and local autonomy.
“The municipality belongs to the people, and we will not leave until this decision is revoked,” said Batman Co-Mayor Gülistan Sönük, who won 64.5% of the vote in the last election. Surrounded by police who blocked access to the municipal building, Sönük called for solidarity among women and youth in resisting the move. She described the appointment as a “disregard for the will of the people.”
Mardin Co-Mayor Devrim Demir echoed these sentiments, calling the trustees policy “neither moral nor democratic.” Outside Mardin’s municipal building, where locals have launched a protest vigil, Demir noted that the community has repeatedly rejected these appointments. “This is a day to protect our will,” she said, also criticising previous trustee administrations for their neglect of local infrastructure, alleging that they had left “a legacy of corruption and decay.”
The two mayors extended an open invitation to democratic and socialist movements across Turkey to support the protests. “This is a struggle for peace, unity and democracy,” Sönük added, underscoring their message that Kurdish democratic engagement is under threat.
