İmamoğlu visits suspended mayor of Mardin

MARDİN

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) visited Mardin on Nov. 16 to show solidarity with his counterpart, Ahmet Türk, who was removed from office by the Interior Ministry earlier this month.

Türk, a member of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), was replaced by a government-appointed trustee.

Accompanied by a CHP delegation, İmamoğlu met with Türk at his home in Mardin.

"This is a situation that unfortunately causes our state and nation to lose prestige in the world," İmamoğlu said during a press briefing after the visit.

"We are determined people. We never give up, we never back down. We will not step back even a millimeter," added İmamoğlu, who also chairs the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye (TBB).

Türk, also critical of the trustee appointments, declared, "There is no way this country can achieve democracy with trustee politics."

He was among several mayors removed from office following the arrest of CHP's Ahmet Özer, the mayor of Istanbul's Esenyurt district on Oct. 31. Trustees were appointed to take over governance in Mardin, Batman and Şanlıurfa’s Halfeti district shortly after.

Özer was held on Oct. 31 over alleged affiliation with PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU.

Prosecutors are also investigating whether public funds under his administration were funneled to the PKK.

As the reason for the move targeting other mayors, the ministry also cited earlier convictions and ongoing investigations over the PKK membership.

In his speech at a forum in Istanbul on Nov. 16, CHP leader Özgür Özel condemned the moves. "We will defend democracy. We will be against the trustee policy regardless of party," he said.

Özel also addressed ongoing investigations into the financial activities of municipalities in Ankara and Istanbul.

"There is no accountability that any of my mayors cannot give," he said, calling on inspectors not to "fabricate crimes."