Co-mayors of Hakkari's Yüksekova district, Ruken Yetişkin and Tacettin Safalı, as well as Municipal Council member Nazife Evin have been suspended from position by the Ministry of Interior.

The suspension came in the wake of an investigation launched against the three in accordance with an instruction sent by the Ministry of Interior to the General Directorate of Local Administrations. The reason for the suspension has been cited as 'participation in the declaration of self-rule at a press conference on August 13'.

Co-mayors of Batman province, Sabri Özdemir and already jailed Gülistan Özdemir, as well as 17 members of the municipal council have also been suspended from position late yesterday evening.

The suspension of Batman co-mayors has also been conducted in accordance with an instruction sent by the Ministry of Interior to the General Directorate of Local Administrations. According to the procedures, Governor of Batman will enable the gathering of the remaining members of the city council and election of provisional deputy mayors.

As part of the same political operation against elected local administrators in the Kurdish region, co-mayor of Iğdır's Tuzluca district, Mehmet Gültekin, and mayor of Hoşhaber town, Ali Çam, have also been suspended from position in accordance with an instruction of the Ministry of Interior.

Gültekin and Çam were detained two days ago because of participation in a human shield action, and remanded in custody on alleged grounds of “membership to an armed organization”.