DEM Party Wan Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Abdullah Zeydan, who was first denied and then given back the certificate of election, released a message of thanks on his social media account, saying, "Now it is time to serve."

Zeydan's message read: "We would like to express our gratitude to our honourable people who have gloriously claimed their will, to our co-chairs, to Leyla Zana, Ahmet Türk, Başak Demirtaş, to our MPs and all our party comrades, to all political prisoners in the person of Mr. Demirtaş and Mr. Mızraklı who showed great solidarity, to all the peoples of Turkey who defend justice, law and democracy, to the press workers, to all political party leaders, to the NGO representatives and all those who stand on the side of law and justice, from the far left to the far right. The YSK (Supreme Election Board) decision based on justice and law has further strengthened the hopes for the establishment of the rule of law in all areas, the hopes for social peace and the will for a free and honourable life together. Now it is time to serve. Let no one doubt that we will produce services worthy of our people."

Background

In the Kurdish province of Van, where the DEM Party received 55% of the vote and the AKP just 27%, in the 31 March local elections, the elected DEM Party Co-Mayor of Van Metropolitan Municipality, Abdullah Zeydan, was denied office and replaced by the AKP candidate. The illegal action against Zeydan was taken despite the fact that he completed all requisite legal procedures and successfully secured candidacy approval from the Supreme Election Board after rigorous scrutiny. He garnered substantial support from the people of Van and was duly elected together with Neslihan Şedal. The unlawful action against Zeydan was met with protests, starting from Van and spreading to the entire Kurdish region. As a result of the resistance of the Kurdish people, their friends and democratic public opinion, the Supreme Electoral Board was forced to return the certificate of election unlawfully granted to the AKP candidate to the democratically elected Abdullah Zeydan of the DEM Party on Wednesday.