The Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) released a statement condemning the usurpation of the municipalities of Mardin, Batman and Halfeti which were won by the DEM Party in the 31 March local elections.

The KNK statement on Monday includes the following:

“The attack on local democracy by the AKP-MHP government in Ankara continues. After the Istanbul municipality led by the main opposition party, the CHP of Esenyurt, with a majority Kurdish population, was placed under forced administration last week, today the elected co-mayors in the northern Kurdish provincial capitals of Mardin and Batman and the district town of Halfeti have been removed and forced trustees have been appointed in their place. This is now the third time in ten years that the Turkish regime has cracked down on the democratic Kurdish people’s will in order to impose its occupational rule.

In Mardin, the police surrounded the town hall in the early hours. At the same time, the co-mayor of the provincial capital, Ahmet Türk (DEM party), who was elected with 57.4 percent of the vote, was blocked from entering his office and removed by order of the Minister of the Interior.

The municipal administration in Batman has also been reshuffled, a forced administrator has been appointed and the co-mayor, Gülistan Sönük, who was elected with 64.52 percent of the vote, has been removed from office.

In the district town of Halfeti in the province of Urfa, the town hall was also cordoned off by the police. The co-mayor, Mehmet Karayılan, was arrested.

We unequivocally condemn the recent appointment of Turkish trustees in Mardin, Batman, Esenyurt and Halfeti, which represents a blatant abuse of democratic processes and the will of the Kurdish people. The blockade of municipal buildings and the detention of elected officials are acts of oppression that undermine international norms and the sacred principles of democracy, peace, and freedom.

Co-mayors Ahmet Türk, Gülistan Sönük, and Mehmet Karayılan have been chosen by their communities through legitimate electoral processes, and their removal is an affront to the citizens who placed their trust in them. This action not only disregards the voices of the people, but also perpetuates a regime of plunder and control that seeks to silence dissent and manipulate local governance.

Unfortunately, the Turkish state is increasingly distancing itself from international laws, while the international community and its safeguarding institutions remain silent due to their geopolitical and economic interests. This silence of the EU, CoE (Council of Europe), and UN emboldens the Turkish dictatorship, which believes it can act with impunity.

We call on all progressive municipalities and mayors of the world to stand in solidarity with the co-mayors and disenfranchised citizens of these municipalities in their struggle against this unjust imposition. The right to self-governance is fundamental, and we will not accept the erosion of democratic values.

We call for the immediate reversal of these appointments and the restoration of elected officials to their rightful positions. The people’s will and constitutional democratic rights must prevail.

We assert that this extortion will not deter the Kurdish people; they will continue to insist on their right to self-determination, democracy, and free expression of their will.”