Three More HDP Mayors Arrested as 24 Municipalities Taken Over by Ministry Since Polls

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Three district mayors in the southeastern Mardin province, who were previously replaced with trustees by the Ministry of Interior, have been arrested.

Savur Co-Mayor Gülistan Öncü, Mazıdağı Co-Mayor Nalan Özaydın and Derik Co-Mayor Mülkiye Esmez have been put behind bars after their questioning at the prosecutor's office. Proceedings at the security directorate took 12 days as they were taken into custody on November 15.

CLICK - HDP Releases Reports on Trustees

The prosecutor asked the politicians about the incidents during the "period of curfews" in 2015 and 2016, the Mezopotamya Agency reported. A period of conflict started in the mostly Kurdish-populated southeastern provinces after the general elections in June 2015.

Gülistan Öncü was also asked about the hunger strikes against the "isolation" on Abdullah Öcalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

18 mayors are remanded in custody

Eighteen mayors from the HDP has been arrested since the local elections on March 31. Here are the names and voting rates of the mayors:

• Diyarbakır Metropolitan Mayor Selçuk Mızraklı (62.9%)
• Hakkari Co-Mayor Cihan Kahraman (%59,97)
• Savur Co-Mayor Gülistan Öncü (%48,02)
• Mazıdağı Co-Mayor Nalan Özaydın (%56,40)
• Derik Co-Mayor Mülkiye Esmez (%69,34)
• Yüksekova Co-Mayors Remziye Yaşar-İrfan Sarı (%66,18)
• Suruç Co-Mayor Hatice Çevik (%59,36)
• Nusaybin Co-Mayors Semire Nergis-Ferhat Kurt (%77,42)
• Kulp Co-Mayors Mehmet Fatih Taş-Fatma Ay (%49,97)
• İpekyolu Co-Mayors Azim Yağcan-Şehzade Kurt (%54,47)
• Kayapınar Co-Mayor Keziban Yılmaz (%66,39)
• Erciş Co-Mayor Yıldız Çetin (%49,71)
• Kocaköy Co-Mayor Rojda Nazlıer (%61,67)
• Karayazı Co-Mayor Melike Göksu (%61,83)

The municipalities

The Ministry of Interior has replaced the mayors of 24 municipalities with trustees since the elections. The ministry removed the mayors on the ground of the "terrorism-related" investigations against them.

• Diyarbakır: %62,93
• Van: %53,83
• Mardin: %56,24
• Hakkari: %59,97
• Yüksekova: %66,18
• Kulp:%49,97
• Kayapınar: %66,35
• Bismil: %71,43
• Kocaköy:%61,67
• Karayazı: %61,83
• Nusaybin:%77,42
• Erciş: %49,71
• Cizre: %76,99
• Saray: %61,38
• Kızıltepe: %70,45
• Derik % 69,34
• Suruç % 59,36
• Savur %48,02
• Mazıdağı %56,40
• Akpazar % 35,90
• İdil % 73,84
• Yenişehir %62,32
• Hazro %52,61
• Ipekyolu %54,47 (EKN/VK)