The Söderhamn office of Swedish Social Democratic Party released a statement concerning the Turkish AKP regime’s removal of mayors of Diyarbakır, Mardin and Van metropolitan municipalities on August 19.

Describing the removal of democratically elected mayors as unacceptable, the statement said; “This bare attack against democracy took place in NATO member and European Union candidate country Turkey. This is an attack against not only those removed from their posts, but also against the constituent whose right to vote was usurped.”

Recalling that as many as 400 HDP members, including 60 municipal employees, were arrested alongside the dismissal of elected mayors, the statement continued;

“The cause of the mass arrest of Kurdish politicians is the great defeat suffered by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in the local elections held in Turkey on March 31. Erdoğan has consolidated all executive, legislative and judicial powers for himself. This defeat shook the Erdoğan government so strong that they imposed a repetition of Istanbul elections but lost again.”

The social democrats highlighted that they will strictly oppose the removal of their colleagues with baseless accusations, adding; “We urge President Erdoğan to respect the popular will manifested in local elections. Fundamental rights and freedoms must be secured as democratically elected politicians cannot be removed from their posts under the rule of democracy.”

The statement called upon the Turkish government to respect the people’s will and reinstate the HDP mayors.