The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) Ankara Provincial Co-chair Fatin Kanat, who participated in the rally organised on 13 June with the slogan "Municipalities belong to the people, we will not allow usurpation" against the appointment of trustees to Hakkari Municipality, spoke to ANF.

Remarking that the cities of Kurdistan are governed with the logic of martial law, Fatih Kanat said, "Apart from the ongoing oppressive, denialist and discriminatory practices of the government, the days of Kurdistan geography without martial law and state of emergency are numbered." Kanat said that after the internal conflict of the state on 15 July (coup attempt in 2016), the laws have been shelved, gangster cliques are on the prowl and there is a competition in Kurdish enmity.

Kanat noted that those who stand on the side of the Kurds are also seen as enemies and said, "The trustee appointments are also within this scope, but the old lies, conspiracies and inflated balloons that were used as justification for the trustees are no longer believable."

Kanat emphasised that the trustee practice is not only about appointing governors and district governors to replace mayors, but that underlying this practice lies the understanding of not seeing the Kurdish people as citizens and ignoring them. He continued: "The message is clear, the Kurdish people are once again reminded that they are not equal citizens and that their elections are not worth anything. The Kurds, who have already been ignored with their language and culture, are now standing up against this oppression with all their being. The resistance of the people of Van and Hakkari, the support they received from many centres in Kurdistan and Turkey, and the growing spirit of solidarity and struggle are signs that the rulers will no longer be as comfortable as before."

Kanat said that the AKP-MHP alliance, which was revealed to be unpopular in the last election on 31 March, is trying to prolong its life with these moves. He added: "It is not surprising that a new trustee move came after the trials and verdicts in the Kobanî, Gezi and 1 May cases. In addition, the law on putting street dogs to sleep and the monist reactionary curriculum that once again ignores the Kurdish mother tongue can be evaluated within this framework. The isolation in İmralı and the usurpation of rights in prisons have exhausted the patience of the people. Despite all this, our party insists on democratic politics. The resistance rising from Hakkari should turn into a great social struggle for freedom and democracy that includes everyone. The gains of this struggle will be great.”