European Union Turkey Rapporteur Nacho Sánchez Amor and German MP Max Lucks have strongly criticised Turkey’s recent appointment of a government trustee in Kurdish-majority Hakkari (Colemêrg), condemning it as a blatant attack on democratic principles.
On Monday, Amor took to social media to denounce the arrest of Mehmet Sıddık Akış, the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party elected co-mayor of Hakkari, and his replacement with a government-appointed trustee.
“This is a blatant attack on democratic principles and a total disregard for the will of the people,” he stated. “It is the fastest way for the Turkish government to demolish any hope of [EU] accession revival.”
And so it begins again: @DEMGenelMerkezi elected mayor of #Hakkari, Mehmet Sıddık Akış, arrested & replaced by a trustee from the Gov. Blatant attack to democratic principles & total disregard to people’s will: fastest way for 🇹🇷 Gov to demolish any hope of accession revival
— Nacho Sánchez Amor (@NachoSAmor) June 3, 2024
Lucks, chair of the Turkey-Germany inter-parliamentary friendship group and Green Party member, echoed Amor’s sentiments. Akış was democratically elected by the electorate in Hakkari during the 31 March local elections, he stressed, highlighting the trustee appointment as undemocratic.
“We stand with Mehmet Sıddık Akış and all democrats in Turkey,” Lucks declared.
Die Bevölkerung von #Hakkari hat bei den letzten Wahlen den Kandidaten der #DEMParti zum Bürgermeister gewählt. Das ist Demokratie.
Seine Absetzung ist es nicht & ich verurteile sie.Wir stehen an der Seite von Mehmet Sıddık Akış, an der Seite aller Demokraten in der #Türkei.
— Max Lucks (@max_lucks) June 3, 2024
Both officials underscored the importance of respecting democratic processes and the will of the people, warning that such actions by the Turkish government undermine economic, social and political development in the region.
However, the EU’s institutional stance on Turkey’s recent actions remains unclear, providing little hope with its record of weak and inconsistent responses to democratic issues in Turkey.
