3 mayors in eastern Turkey detained over terror links

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

As part of a terror probe in eastern Turkey, several local officials from a political party accused of terrorist ties were detained on Dec. 6, according to security sources.

Three mayors and two so-called co-mayors from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) were detained in the eastern Van province over suspected terror links.

The mayors are Yılmaz Salan of Muradiye, Yakup Amaç of Özalp, and Erkan Acar of Başkale.

This August, mayors in the Van, Diyarbakır, and Mardin provinces in eastern and southeastern Turkey were suspended over alleged terror links.

They all came from the HDP, which Turkey's government accuses of having links to the YPG/PKK terror group.