Abdullah Zeydan has received his certificate of election as mayor of the city of Van, together with Neslihan Şedal. According to the DEM party status, top positions must be filled by a man and a woman, and the principle of gender parity in co-presidency system applies to all committees. However, only Zeydan is sworn in, as Şedal is officially considered a city councillor. Hundreds of enthusiastic people accompanied the new mayors of Van Municipality on Friday on the way to the Palace of Justice, where the election committee is also located, and gave them a round of applause. Şedal and Zeydan in turn thanked the people for their support.

"For years, we have been fighting to restore equality, justice and a collective conscience in this society. Achieving this ideal is also one of the core principles of local democracy," said Şedal. "We thank our young friends, our mothers, all the communities, civil society and all the other dynamics of our city who rallied around our candidates and supported them with all their might during the local election campaign. Our solidarity goes out to all those who asserted their democratic rights in the face of disregard for the will of the voters and whose resistance ensured our victory. The recent developments in Van have revitalised our hope for a strengthening of our striving for rights, freedom and justice in society. It is not only in Van that this hope has been rekindled, but everywhere in this region. May our victory together be blessed."

Zeydan also addressed a few words to the people: "We have gone through a process that has been characterised, albeit temporarily, by the suspension of our fundamental rights. We thank the people of Van and all those who stood up for democracy, law and justice and defended the will of the voters. The recognition of our election by the Supreme Election Commission has further strengthened the will for the rule of law, the establishment of justice, social peace and a life of coexistence and dignity in our country. Our regions have been the scene of conflict and lawlessness for long enough. We all have a responsibility to create social peace and a life in dignity. It is time to create social peace and serve our beautiful city and our people well. We will roll up our sleeves to find solutions to all the city's problems. Our thanks go to all our citizens."

DEM members Abdullah Zeydan and Neslihan Şedal received around 55.5 per cent of the vote in the local elections in Van on 31 March. However, the Turkish regime wanted to appoint an AKP politician as mayor in their place and had Zeydan declared ineligible at short notice. The background to the decision to exclude Zeydan from the election is a court ruling on the 52-year-old politician's restoration of all civil rights after serving several years in prison - including the right to run for political office. The court had approved the application in 2022, but withdrew its own decision two days before the election on the initiative of the Ministry of Justice. Zeydan was not informed of the move, which according to lawyers was unlawful. Following massive protests, Ankara rowed back and finally confirmed Zeydan's election victory. The Council of Judges and Public Prosecutors (HSK) is now investigating the court that restored the Kurdish politician's civil rights.