Deniz Yücel, spokesperson for Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), condemned on Monday the use of “coup laws” for trustee appointments in Turkey.
“Assigning trustees to municipalities is a direct blow to the public’s will,” Yücel stated, amid concerns over governance and democracy in Turkey. He criticised the legal framework that allows such appointments, which he referred to as aligning with “coup laws”.
In a detailed press conference, Yücel highlighted the recent trustee appointment in Kurdish-majority Hakkari (Colemêrg) following the local elections on 31 March. He argued that the move, though judicial, adheres to an outdated and oppressive legal structure from the emergency rule period.
This act, according to Yücel, effectively sidesteps the democratic process and the electorate’s decision, replacing it with government-appointed trustees. “This is not just about legality but about the fundamental principles of democracy and the integrity of our electoral process,” he added.
Yücel cited the municipalities of Silopi (Silopî) and Artuklu (Ertuqî) where ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)-appointed trustees allegedly engaged in corrupt practices and mismanagement.
He called for a unified effort in the Turkish Grand National Assembly to revise the Municipal Law to prevent such undemocratic practices: “Let’s come together, across all parties, to amend the law that allows this usurpation of the public’s choice.”
In addition to local governance issues, Yücel touched on the broader implications of such actions for the fabric of Turkey’s democracy, giving examples of incidents in which the mere removal of a presidential portrait, which is not in itself a crime, led to legal actions against local officials.
“There should be no crime as ‘insulting the president’ in a country where democracy and the rule of law prevail,” he stated, criticising the misuse of legal provisions to suppress dissent.
