Turkey dismisses and sentences two Kurdish mayors to jail

Turkey dismisses and sentences two Kurdish mayors to six years in jail over alleged PKK links — Kurdish mayor of Tunceli, Cevdet Konak (R), and Mustafa Sarigul, the mayor of Ovacik, Turkey Kurdistan (Bakur), 2024. Photo: DEM/X

DIYARBAKIR (AMED),— Two Kurdish mayors in eastern Turkey, have been dismissed from office following convictions for alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The Interior Ministry announced the decision on Friday, stating that the mayors of Tunceli and Ovacik were sentenced to six years and three months in prison this week for membership in the group, which has fought an insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984.

The mayors, Cevdet Konak of Tunceli and Mustafa Sarigul of Ovacik, were replaced by state-appointed administrators.

Their removal is the latest in a series of actions targeting politicians associated with Turkey’s Kurdish minority, sparking widespread criticism and protests.

Konak is a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), which the government frequently accuses of links to the PKK, designated as a “terrorist” organization by Turkey and its Western allies.

Sarigul is affiliated with the Republican People’s Party (CHP), Turkey’s main opposition party, which won significant victories in local elections earlier this year. Both politicians deny the charges, calling them baseless.

On Friday evening, angry demonstrators gathered outside Tunceli’s city hall, clashing with police as some protesters attempted to breach security barriers. Similar removals of Kurdish and opposition mayors have occurred in recent months, including dismissals in Kurdish southeastern towns and Istanbul’s largest district.

These actions have drawn condemnation from the Council of Europe and human rights groups.

The HDP criticized the government’s decision, stating that it undermines democratic processes and “destroys the will of the people.” CHP leader Özgür Özel also condemned the move as “theft of the nation’s will.”

The PKK began its armed struggle in 1984, seeking greater autonomy for Turkey’s Kurdish population, estimated at over 22.5 million people.

Decades of conflict have resulted in more than 40,000 deaths, primarily among soldiers and guerrillas.

While PKK operations often target military and government installations, the group generally avoids harming civilians. Many in Turkey’s Kurdish community and abroad express solidarity with the PKK’s goals.