The Party of European Socialists (PES) said in a statement that it "rejects the arbitrary and antidemocractic removal of co-Mayor of Hakkari Mehmet Sıddık Akış. Akış, from our Kurdish associate member DEM Party, was elected with 49.8% of the vote in Hakkari in the local elections of 31 March and has been removed from his position by the Interior Ministry, without conviction and based on false, generic charges."

PES Secretary General Giacomo Filibeck said: "This is a political trial against DEM and all Kurdish people in Turkey. Mehmet Sıddık Akış is the legitimate co-Mayor of Hakkari and must remain in office. That is the democratic will of the people, freely expressed in the elections. These alleged charges of 'terrorism' only reflect the weakness of Erdoğan’s power and his declining support throughout Turkey. This injustice will only accelerate that decline."

The PES called on the Turkish authorities to overturn these decisions and to honour the mandate of the people.

Background

On 31 March, the DEM Party won control of 77 municipalities across Turkey. Abdullah Zeydan, a candidate with a popular mandate of 55% of the vote in the city of Van, was also forcefully removed from power right after the elections.