Latest news with #Zeydan
Shafaq News
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Turkiye ousts Van mayor, citing PKK links
Shafaq News/ On Saturday, the Turkish Ministry of Interior announced the dismissal of a second pro-Kurdish mayor, Abdullah Zeydan, over allegations of affiliation with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 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: — 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.
Al Arabiya
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Turkey removes another pro-Kurdish mayor for alleged ‘terrorism'
A ninth mayor from Turkey's pro-Kurdish DEM party, the third largest in parliament, has been removed from office because of alleged links to a 'terrorist organization,' the interior ministry said on Saturday. The suspension of the mayor of Van, a majority Kurdish city in the east of the country, came with negotiations underway between the government and the historic head of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been in an armed struggle with the state since 1984. 'Sentenced to three years and nine months in prison for aiding a terrorist organization, the mayor of the municipality of Van, Abdullah Zeydan, has been temporarily suspended from his duties,' the interior ministry said in a statement, adding that the governor of the region has been named to replace him. Opposition website Bir Gun denounced what it said was a 'coup d'etat against the people,' and said Zeydan had refused to sign the document dismissing him. 'Shameless thieves have usurped the will of the people,' the mayor said on his X account. Since his February 11 conviction, which he has appealed, thousands of Zeydan's supporters have gathered in front of the headquarters of the Van municipality, from which they were evicted at dawn by police. The DEM party denounced a 'coup against our municipality of Van and a blow to the will of the people,' noting that Zeydan was elected in March with more than 55 percent of the votes. Eleven mayors, nine from DEM and two from the main opposition CHP party, have been dismissed since March 2024 local elections. Since 2016, dozens of mayors of Kurdish localities have been removed from office and replaced by administrators appointed by the authorities. This Saturday marks the 26th anniversary of the arrest of PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan, who is imprisoned on an island off the coast of Istanbul.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Turkey removes pro-Kurdish mayor in south-east from post
Turkish authorities have sacked another elected pro-Kurdish mayor over a terrorism-linked conviction, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday. Pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Mayor Abdullah Zeydan of the south-eastern city of Van was replaced with the local governor over his conviction on "assisting an armed terrorist organization," the ministry said in a statement. Police in Van used tear gas and water cannon to disperse demonstrators protesting the replacement, local broadcaster Halk TV and the DEM Party said. The DEM Party condemned the move as a blow to the people's will and said that it "will not bow to this lawlessness," in a statement on social media platform X. Zeydan was last week sentenced to nearly four years in prison over alleged membership in the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). His DEM Party has recently faced increasing pressure, with several of its elected mayors removed from office. The removal comes amid an anticipated start of peace talks between the Turkish state and the PKK, which have been in conflict since the early 1980s. As part of this, a DEM Party delegation recently visited the PKK founder Abdullah Öcalan, who is imprisoned on an island off Istanbul.
Rudaw Net
15-02-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Turkey sacks Kurdish mayor of Van
Also in Turkey PKK says Ocalan seeks 'democratization' of Kurdish issue Kurdish mayor deems Turkish court ruling against him political Turkey hands 45-month prison sentence on Van's Kurdish mayor Kurdish language declining among youth in northeast Turkey A+ A- ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkey's Interior Ministry on Saturday dismissed the Kurdish mayor of Van, Abdullah Zeydan, and replaced him with a trustee after he was sentenced to three years and nine months in jail on terror-related charges. A court in Diyarbakir (Amed) convicted Zeydan on Tuesday for 'aiding the terrorist organization and engaging in its propaganda.' As expected, the Interior Ministry said in a statement early Saturday morning that based on the court ruling they had temporarily removed Zeydan from his post and replaced him with a state-affiliated administrator or trustee. Supporters of the Van mayor have taken to the streets since Tuesday to condemn the court decision, which the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) criticized as 'unlawful.' Protesters have also staged a sit-in in front of the municipality building to prevent security forces from removing the mayor. Zeydan's tenure has been fraught with uncertainty since his victory in Turkey's local elections last March, when he secured over 55 percent of the votes for the DEM Party, defeating the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate. His victory was challenged in a local court responding to a last-minute request by the Justice Ministry. As a result, the mayorship was handed to the AKP runner-up. This sparked protests in the Kurdish-majority southeast and drew widespread criticism from both AKP allies and opposition parties. The DEM Party filed an appeal with the election board to challenge the removal of Zeydan, which was accepted, leading to his reinstatement as mayor. Since 2016, dozens of Kurdish mayors have been dismissed and sentenced on 'terrorism-related' charges for alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which Ankara has designated a terrorist organization. The dismissed mayors are replaced with state-appointed trustees.
Rudaw Net
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Rudaw Net
Kurdish mayor deems Turkish court ruling against him political
Also in Turkey Turkey hands 45-month prison sentence on Van's Kurdish mayor Kurdish language declining among youth in northeast Turkey Pro-Kurdish MPs to visit Kurdistan Region ahead of looming Ocalan call Bahceli condemns Trump Gaza plan as challenge to Turkey A+ A- VAN, Turkey - A Turkish court sentenced Kurdish mayor of Van city to three years and nine months. The politician claimed that there is no justice in the country, deeming the ruling political. "Actually, there is no court, no law, and no justice. This is an order from the government and the [ruling] AKP and MHP," Abdullah Zeydan told Rudaw after a court in Diyarbakir (Amed) sentenced him to three years and nine months for alleged ties with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). The Justice and Development Party (AKP) is President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's party. Zeydan, who was the candidate of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), got over 55 percent of the votes in March 2024 local elections, while the runner-up, Abdulahat Arvas, candidate of the AKP, received 27 percent. Zeydan's candidacy, however, was initially revoked by a court acting on a last minute request by the justice ministry and the Van branch of the election board handed the win to Arvas. Zeydan finally received the mandate to take up his role after protests erupted across the Kurdish-majority southeast in reaction to the move. "They have decided to once again confiscate the will of the people of Van, so they are trying to pave the way for that. We have been here for ten months, and our people saved the municipality from being confiscated by a trustee by giving a historical response to the AKP's oppression," Zeydan said on Tuesday. 'We will not allow confiscation,' was one of the slogans of Zeydan's supporters. Security measures were increased in the city to prevent further protests. His supporters were determined to endorse him. "The Kurdish determination [to fight against] lack of recognition of Kurdish identity and existence [by the state], rather than fighting to keep a municipality. We will win it again. We are standing on our feet and we will resist. Resistance is life," Menderes Dere, Kurdish resident of Van, told Rudaw. Sadrettin Mavi is another Kurdish resident of Van. He said Turkey does not consider them as its citizens. "There is nothing good for Kurds. They never consider Kurds as the citizens [of Turkey]. They have confiscated the will of Kurds three times by imposing trustees on Kurdish municipalities three times. Even if we build a cottage in the sky, the Turkish state will try to destroy it and take it down," he said. Zeydan's lawyer said the mayor is not expected to be jailed due to the ruling.
