Youth and women are spearheading major protests in Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish cities against the government’s decision to replace democratically elected mayors with state-appointed trustees. The move has ignited tensions in Mardin (Mêrdîn), Batman (Êlih), Halfeti (Xelfetî) and other Kurdish-majority cities, where demonstrators are voicing resistance to what they see as an erosion of local democracy.
Protesters—many of them young and female—have rallied around symbolic sites, marching with signs that read “Woman, Life, Freedom” and chanting calls for the trustees to leave. Key figures leading the protests include Keskin Bayındır, co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP), and Batman’s recently dismissed mayor, Gülistan Sönük, who have emphasised the need to protect the democratic choices of Kurdish citizens.
“The people reject this trustee rule,” said Bedriye Yorgûn, the co-mayor of Halfeti. “Women especially have shown that they do not want these imposed trustees, and they won’t back down.”
The government has responded to the protests with intense security measures, deploying water cannons, tear gas, and armoured vehicles. Journalists covering the demonstrations have also faced police action, with reports of beatings and arrests, including that of Jin News reporter Pelşin Çetinkaya. A widely circulated image of a young child, around 10 years old, being detained by police has fueled public anger, sparking criticism from citizens and human rights groups alike.
The trustee appointments are part of a broader strategy by the Turkish government, which critics argue undermines Kurdish political representation in favour of centralised control over local councils. Many see it as an affront to Kurdish identity and an effort to curb the influence of Kurdish political organisations in the region.
A spokesperson for the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, which won the contested mayoral seats, emphasised that the crackdown “isn’t just an attack on Kurdish leaders; it’s an attack on democracy.” The DEM Party has called on the public and international community to oppose what they see as a systematic assault on political opposition and democratic governance in Turkey’s Kurdish regions.
As the demonstrations gain momentum, mayors like Gülistan Sönük of Batman have vowed to remain in the streets with the protesters until the trustees step down. “These streets are ours,” Sönük said, embodying the determination of those calling for democratic accountability and Kurdish autonomy.
