Turkey replaces pro-Kurdish mayor in east with state official

15/2/2025 16:57

Turkey on Saturday removed another elected pro-Kurdish provincial mayor over convictions on terrorism-related charges and appointed a state official in his place, the interior ministry said.



The local governor replaced Abdullah Zeydan, a member of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party and mayor of the eastern province of Van because of his recent conviction for "assisting an armed terrorist organisation", the ministry said in a statement.



Eight DEM Party-member mayors and two main opposition CHP-member mayors across Turkey have been removed from their posts over terrorism-related charges since March 2024 local elections. Another CHP-member mayor has been under arrest over tender-rigging charges.



DEM, which has 57 seats in the 600-seat parliament, said the trustee appointment to the Van municipality was "a blow to people's will", and it will not "bow to this unlawfulness".



Opposition politicians have faced a series of legal probes, detentions and arrests in what critics say is a government effort to muzzle dissent and hurt their electoral prospects.



Turkey's government dismisses accusations of political interference in the cases and says the judiciary is independent.