Two mayors arrested over alleged terror links

IĞDIR

Two mayors from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) who were detained last week have been arrested on terrorism charges.  

Yaşar Akkuş, the mayor of the eastern province of Iğdır, who was detained on May 15 as part of a terror probe, was arrested on May 18. 

He was suspended from his position.

A local court ordered the arrest of Akkuş on alleged membership of the PKK terror group, according to judicial sources.
 
Casim Budak, the mayor of the Altınova district of the eastern province of Muş, was also arrested on May 18 over alleged terror links. 

He was also accused of being a member of the terror group.  

On May 15, several local officials from the HDP, a political party accused by the government of links to the PKK, were detained as part of a terror probe in eastern and southeastern Turkey.

Berivan Helen Işık, the mayor of Siirt, Baran Akgül, the mayor of the Kurtalan district, and Ramazan Sarsılmaz, the mayor of the Baykan district, were released on bail. 

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

A large number of local HDP mayors have been suspended from office in recent years and are facing terrorism charges. 

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S and the European Union.