AMED, NORTHERN KURDISTAN
While 6 HDP candidates were not given their Mayor certificates because they were dismissed with a decree, AKP trustees were appointed to 40 of the municipalities won by HDP. The number of HDP municipalities has been reduced to 18 as of today.
Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) won 65 municipalities in Kurdish provinces in the March 31, 2019 Local Elections. Out of 65 municipalities, 3 were metropolitan municipalities, 5 were provinces, 45 districts and 12 towns. Trustees were appointed to 40 of these municipalities while 6 of the mayor candidates were not given their certificates.
The municipalities HDP still runs are; Ağrı Doğubayazıt, Diyadin, Patnos; Batman Kozluk; Diyarbakır Çınar, Dicle; Elazig Sarica; Erzurum Karaçoban; Iğdır, Iğdır Hoşhaber; Kars; Muş Altınova; Siirt, Siirt Baykan, Kurtalan; Sirnak Silopi, Balveren Municipalities.
AKP TRUSTEES WERE APPOINTED TO 29 HDP MUNICIPALITIES IN JUST 3 MONTHS
The second wave of appointing trustees to HDP municipalities came in October, November and December of 2019. During this period, trustees were appointed to Batman İkiköprü (Awîskê); Dersim Akpazar; Diyarbakır Hazro, Kayapınar, Bismil, Kocaköy, Kulp, Sur, Yenişehir; Erzurum Karayazı; Hakkari, Yüksekova; Mardin Kızıltepe, Mazıdağı, Nusaybin, Savur; Muş Bulanik, Erentepe, Varto; Şırnak Cizre, İdil; Urfa Suruç and Van’s Başkale, Erciş, İpekyolu, Muradiye, Özalp and Saray Municipalities.
TRUSTEES WERE APPOINTED TO 8 MORE MUNICIPALITIES
Trustees were appointed to Batman; Bitlis’s Güroymak district, Diyarbakır’s Eğil, Ergani, Silvan and Lice, Iğdır’s Halfeli and Siirt’s Gökçebağ Municipalities by the Ministry of Interrior.
NOT EVEN A YEAR HAS PASSED SINCE THE ELECTIONS
With the appointment of the new 8 trustees, the number of the municipalities which the Ministry did not appoint an AKP trustee decreased from 65 to 18.
ERDOGAN VOWED BEFORE ELECTIONS TO ‘RE-SEIZE’ KURDISH MUNICIPALITIES SHOULD HDP WIN
Dictator Erdogan had vowed in October 2017 to seize municipalities in Kurdish provinces once again immediately after upcoming local elections take place, should Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP)-backed mayoral candidates come out of ballot box victorious.
“Elections are nearing. If those involved with terror come out of the ballot box, we shall appoint trustees with no delay,” Erdogan told an audience of mostly his AKP regime and bureaucrats in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
Then too, 94 of 102 municipalities in Kurdish-majority cities and towns were administered by Ankara-appointed trustees as the Erdogan administration moved in late 2016 to depose, arrest, and jail mayors elected in the previous 2014 vote with charges of “terrorism” and collaboration with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
