HDP Releases Report on Trustees

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With its 24 co-mayors removed from office, The Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) has prepared a report regarding the appointment of trustees to its municipalities in 2016 and 2019. The report is entitled "Trustee Regime in Turkey & Usurpation of the Right to Elect and to be Elected".

The findings of the report were shared with the public in a press conference held by Salim Kaplan, HDP's Vice Co-Chair Responsible for Local Administrations, at Hilton Hotel in Ankara today (November 20).

Releasing details about the first period of trustees in 2016, the report has then focused on the period after the last local elections on March 31.

Some highlights and figures from the report are as follows:

'Women targeted'

"What characterizes the period that we can call the first period of trustees is its approach to the gains of women. The moment they appointed trustees, they first targeted women and the institutions and mechanisms that socialized, organized and transformed in the person of women.

"Despite all kinds of tricks, pressures and preventions, the HDP won 65 municipalities in total, including, 3 metropolitan, 5 provincial, 45 district and 12 town municipalities. 1,230 municipal council members and 101 general provincial council member were elected from the HDP."

Re-appointment of trustees on August 19

Referring to dismissal of Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van Metropolitan Mayors on August 19, HDP has documented the subsequent period as follows:

"After three metropolitan municipalities, first, five people including HDP's Kulp Co-Mayors Mehmet Fatih Taş and Fatma Ay were taken into custody and arrested in the wake of an explosion that took place in Ağaçkorur Village in Kulp district in Diyarbakır on September 12.

"After the co-mayors were arrested, District Governor Mustafa Gözlet was appointed as a trustee to the municipality on September 17.

"After HDP's Karayazı Co-Mayor was arrested on the ground that there was a final verdict of arrest against her, District Governor Mesut Tabakcıoğlu was appointed as a trustee on September 18.

"After Kulp and Karayazı, the appointment of trustees has become a routine. Trustees have been respectively appointed to the following municipalities: Province of Hakkari; Districts of Yüksekova, Erciş, Nusaybin, Kayapınar, Kocaköy, Bismil, Saray, Cizre, Kızıltepe, İpekyolu, İdil, Yenişehir, Hazro; Town of Akpazar; and Districts of, Savur, Derik, Mazıdağı and Suruç.

"As they were not contented with appointment of trustees, the co-mayors of the related municipalities were first detained, then arrested. Accordingly, we have the following picture after the March 31 local elections:

"Between August 19 and November 16, co-mayors of our 3 metropolitan, 1 provincial, 19 district and 1 town municipalities have been removed from office upon the instruction of the Ministry of Interior.

"The governors or district governors of the places in question have been appointed as trustees (acting mayors) to the related municipalities in the capacity of local authorities. Our 14 co-mayors have been arrested.

Further details from the report

"The certificates of election of HDP's following elected co-mayors were not given by the Supreme Election Council (YSK) though they were elected on March 31: Diyarbakır-Bağlar Co-Mayor Zeyyat Ceylan, Van-Çaldıran Co-Mayor Leyla Atsak, Van-Edremit Co-Mayor Gülcan Kaçmaz Sağyiğit, Van-Tuşba Co-Mayor Yılmaz Berki, Erzurum-Tekman Co-Mayor Müzahit Karakuş, Kars-Digor-Dağpınar Co-Mayor Abubekir Erkmen.

"The other co-mayors whose certificates of elections were seized by the YSK are as follows: Diyarbakır Metropolitan Co-Mayor Hülya Alökmen Uyanık, Diyarbakır-Yenişehir Co-Mayor İbrahim Çiçek, Diyarbakır-Kayapınar Co-Mayor Necati Pirinççioğlu, Hakkari Co-Mayor Seher Kadiroğlu Ataş, Mardin-Kızıltepe Co-Mayor Salih Kuday, Mardin-Savur Co-Mayor Mehmet Yasin Kalkan, Siirt Co-Mayor Resul Kaçar, Van-Erciş Co-Mayor Mahmut Pala.

"The certificates of election of HDP's 47 council members, 44 of whom were municipal council members and 3 of whom were general provincial council members, were seized with the same unlawful decision of the YSK.

"Between March 31 and November 12, HDP's 5 municipal council members and 2 general provincial council members were arrested. HDP's 7 general provincial council members that came to office with March 31 elections were simultaneously removed from office on September 9, 2019.

"HDP's 213 metropolitan municipal council members, 91 from the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality, 52 from the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality and 70 from the Van Metropolitan Municipality have been de facto dismissed.

7 of the arrested co-mayors are women

"7 of the 13 arrested co-mayors from the HDP are women. As you may recall, in the March 31 elections, where 1,389 mayors were elected, 45 of these elected mayors were women. 24 of these 45 elected women were nominated by the HDP. (EMK/SD)