A senior official from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) explained the legal grounds behind recent removals of pro-Kurdish mayors and signaled that similar actions could follow.
The Interior Ministry replaced the mayors of Mardin and Batman, as well as the district of Halfeti in Urfa, appointing trustees due to ongoing investigations and convictions related to “terrorism” charges. All three mayors are members of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party.
Speaking on the matter during a press conference at the parliament, Abdullah Guler, deputy chair of the AKP’s parliamentary group, said, “We know that investigations under the Anti-Terror Law are ongoing against these mayors by the public prosecutors in their respective cities. Secondly, the mayor of Mardin Metropolitan Municipality has received a sentence of over 10 years in a lower court, while the Batman and Halfeti mayors each face sentences of over six years, pending appeals in the higher courts.”
Guler added, “According to Article 127 of our Constitution and Articles 45 and 46 of our Municipalities Law No. 5393, the Interior Ministry reviewed these cases and decided on these temporary assignments to ensure the integrity of public service.” He emphasized that the appointees would continue in these roles unless the legal process exonerates the officials.
Such practices have been implemented before, Guler noted, adding, “These practices will continue and are continuing within the legal framework.”
Although trustee appointments are described as temporary measures in laws, no mayor replaced by a trustee has been able to return to office since the government began implementing this policy in 2016.