In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), the ministry cited the mayors’ ongoing trials as the reason for their removal. The move follows a series of similar actions in recent years, which have seen dozens of mayors in predominantly Kurdish regions replaced by government-appointed trustees.
Mardin, Batman ve Halfeti Belediye Başkanları ile ilgili Basın Açıklamamız: pic.twitter.com/lgqWdn90q0
— T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı (@TC_icisleri) November 4, 2024
Ahmet Türk, co-mayor of Mardin Metropolitan Municipality, had been dismissed twice before by the Ministry of Interior and replaced by a trustee. He was first dismissed in June 2016 and then on 19 August 2019 for the same reasons. On both occasions, the government had dismissed Türk and replaced him with a trustee on the grounds of his alleged links to terrorist organisations.
Ahmet Türk condemned the decision on social media, saying: “There is no giving up. We will not retreat from our struggle for democracy, peace and freedom. We will not allow the will of the people to be taken away.”
Asla pes etmek yok. Demokrasi, Barış ve Özgürlük mücadelesinden geri adım atmayacağız. Halk iradesinin gaspına geçit vermeyeceğiz. Bu böyle bilinsin!
— Ahmet Türk (@AhmetTurkDEM) November 4, 2024
The ministry announced the decision via social media, sparking widespread reaction, particularly from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democracy and Equality Party (DEM). The party, which holds the mayoral seats in these municipalities, denounced the move, calling it an “illegitimate seizure of the people’s will”.
Kayyım darbesinde ısrar etmek siyasi tükenmişliğin göstergesidir!
Merkez Yürütme Kurulumuzun açıklaması:https://t.co/cMtzqFplmH pic.twitter.com/8dZ57Vo7WE
— DEM Parti (@DEMGenelMerkezi) November 4, 2024
“The AKP-MHP government has once again shown its authoritarian face by seizing our municipalities under the guise of terrorism charges,” the DEM party said in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter). The party also emphasised the significance of the timing, noting that it coincided with the anniversary of the detention of prominent Kurdish leaders in Turkey in 2016.
“This is not only an attack on Kurdish politicians, but on democracy itself,” the statement read. “It is a continuation of failed policies that have targeted the Kurdish population for decades, undermining any prospects for peace and dialogue.”
Since 2016, dozens of mayors in Turkey’s southeastern provinces, most of them members of pro-Kurdish parties, have been removed from office and replaced by government-appointed trustees. The ruling AKP-MHP coalition defends the practice, citing national security concerns and the fight against terrorism, but critics argue that it undermines local democracy and exacerbates tensions in the region.
The DEM party’s statement called on the wider public to oppose what it described as a ‘systematic crackdown’ on political opposition and democratic processes. The party vowed to continue to stand up for the rights of the Kurdish population and to challenge the appointment of the trustees through all available legal channels.
Turkey has faced criticism from both domestic and international observers over its use of trustees, with some calling it a violation of basic democratic principles. While the government insists that the measures are necessary to combat terrorism, opposition parties argue that they are part of a broader strategy to silence dissent.
