Turkiye ousts Van mayor, citing PKK links
According to the ministry, Abdullah Zeydan, the mayor of Van and a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), was removed from his position and replaced by the local governor.
Van Büyükşehir Belediye Başkanının İçişleri Bakanlığınca Görevden Uzaklaştırılması ve Van Valisinin Belediye Başkan Vekili Olarak Görevlendirilmesine Dair Basın Açıklaması: pic.twitter.com/rFfnwDguS2
— T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı (@TC_icisleri) February 15, 2025
The HDP reported that police in Van, in the southeast of the country, used tear gas and water cannons to disperse protesters who were demonstrating against his removal. The party condemned the move, describing it as a blow to the will of the people, and stated that it would "not bow to this lawlessness."
Zeydan was sentenced last week to nearly four years in prison based on alleged affiliation with the banned PKK.
The HDP faces increasing pressure, with several of its elected mayors being dismissed.
On January 30, the Turkish Ministry of Interior announced the removal of Sofya Alagas, mayor of Siirt, due to alleged links to the PKK. Alagas, a member of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), is among several mayors removed or arrested since the 2024 local elections.
Moreover, in recent weeks, Turkish police arrested 10 suspects, including deputy mayors, in an investigation into alleged PKK links, as reported by Daily Sabah.
The suspects were former members of the DEM Party, which has historical ties to the PKK. These arrests are part of an ongoing investigation into the so-called "urban consensus" created by the DEM Party, which supported opposition candidates in last year's municipal elections.
The PKK, founded in 1978, has been involved in an armed struggle with the Turkish state since 1984, seeking greater autonomy and rights for Kurds in Turkiye. It is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union.
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