Four mayors detained over alleged terror links

ANKARA

Four mayors from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in southeastern and eastern Turkey have been detained over alleged terror links, according to local media reports.

Iğdır Municipality Mayor Yaşar Akkuş, Siirt Mayor Berivan Helen Işık, Baykan Mayor Ramazan Sarsılmaz and Kurtalan Mayor Bara Akgül have been detained over suspected links to terrorism.

Turkey also appointed acting mayors to Iğdır, Siirt, Baykan and Kurtalan municipalities by a decision taken by the Interior Ministry.

The ministry has appointed Governor Ali Fuat Atik to Siirt Municipality, District Governor Mehmet Tunç to Baykan Municipality and İhsan Emre Aydın to Kurtalan Municipality.

After the appointments, police forces took security measures for the areas surrounding the municipalities’ buildings.

In mid-August, mayors in the Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van provinces were also suspended over alleged terror links. They were all from the HDP, which Turkey’s government accuses of having links to the PKK.

In late March, eight mayors from the HDP in southeastern Turkey were dismissed over alleged terror links.

Batman Municipality Mayor Mehmet Demir, Ergani Mayor Ahmet Kaya, Lice Mayor Tarık Mercan, Silvan Mayor Naşide Toprak and Eğil Mayor Mustafa Akkul, Güroymak Mayor Hikmet Taşdemir, Halfeli Mayor Hasan Safa and Gökçebağ Mayor Serhat Çiçek were suspended from their duty, according to an Interior Ministry statement issued on March 23.