Turkey detains another Kurdish mayor over alleged links to PKK

MERSIN,— A Kurdish opposition mayor in Turkey’s southern region was detained Friday on charges of alleged links to a “terrorist organization”, according to the pro-Kurdish DEM party and Turkish media outlets.

Police detained Akdeniz Mayor Hosyar Sariyildiz, his co-mayor Nuriye Arslan, and four others after surrounding the town hall in Mersin province, located on Turkey’s Mediterranean coast, the state-run TRT Haber channel reported.

Sariyildiz and Arslan, both members of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Emancipation Movement (DEM), were elected as part of the party’s co-leadership system, where a man and woman share mayoral duties.

The party, the third largest in Turkey’s parliament, frequently faces government pressure, with authorities accusing it of ties to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The detentions mark the latest in a series of moves by Turkish authorities to remove elected officials from office following the March 2024 local elections. In many cases, ousted mayors have been replaced by government-appointed trustees, further stoking political tensions.

DEM issued a statement condemning the arrests, calling them “a direct attack on the democratic will of the people.” The party has repeatedly accused the government of using terrorism allegations to silence opposition voices in Kurdish-majority areas.

Since the elections, six DEM mayors and one from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) have been arrested and replaced, prompting widespread protests and backlash. Critics argue these actions erode local democracy and disenfranchise voters.

The Council of Europe, a leading human rights organization, has criticized Turkey’s actions, describing them as undermining democratic governance and the rights of elected officials.

No interim replacement for Sariyildiz and Arslan has been announced, leaving Akdeniz’s local governance in limbo as political turmoil continues to escalate.

In November 2024, two Kurdish mayors in eastern Turkey were dismissed following convictions for alleged ties to the PKK.

The Interior Ministry announced that Tunceli Mayor Cevdet Konak and Ovacik Mayor Mustafa Sarigul were sentenced to six years and three months in prison for PKK membership. Both were removed from their posts and replaced by state-appointed administrators.

The PKK began its armed insurgency against the Turkish state in 1984, seeking greater autonomy for the Kurdish population in Turkish Kurdistan (Bakur). Despite representing over 22.5 million people—approximately one-quarter of Turkey’s 84 million population, based on 2012 estimates—the Kurdish minority continues to face constitutional nonrecognition by the Turkish state.

The decades-long conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives, including Turkish soldiers and Kurdish fighters.

The PKK predominantly targets Turkish military and security installations, adhering to a strict policy of avoiding civilian casualties. This approach has fueled international debates about the group’s classification as a terrorist organization.

Several organizations and advocates worldwide have urged governments to reassess the PKK’s designation, citing the group’s focus on military objectives and its role in representing Kurdish aspirations.

(With files from AFP | Agencies)