The Socialist Party carried the issue of trustees to the HDP-run municipalities of Amed, Van and Mardin at the Swiss National Parliament. The Foreign Minister said that they are closely following the issue.
On August 19, Amed, Mardin and Van metropolitan municipalities were seized by the AKP and the co-mayors replaced by trustees.
Swiss Socialist Party (SP) National Parliament Deputies' Carlo Sommaruga and Friedl Claudi, presented a motion on the appointment of trustees to the Federal Council.
In the motion, MP Friedl Claudi said: "Without any legal basis, the mayors of Van, Diyarbakır and Mardin, where the Kurds were dismissed by order of the Ministry of Interior. Instead of these mayors, Erdogan has appointed trustees." Claudi asked what the Swiss attitude would be.
Claudi asked the Foreign Minister the following questions:
“Does the Federal Council discuss this unlawfulness, if yes, when?
What is Switzerland waiting to put pressure on Turkey and take a clear stance against this repression?"
On the other hand in his motion to the Federal Council, Carlo Sommaruga, MP of the National Parliament, drew attention to the municipalities seizure and the sentence imposed on the CHP Istanbul Provincial Chairman Canan Kaftancıoğlu.
Sommaruga also asked the Swiss government to take clear stance against this practice. He asked the following questions:
"What is the attitude of the Federal Council against these unlawful practices?
What is the Federal Council doing for the protection and promotion of democracy and rule of law in Turkey?
According to figures announced by the Swiss Migration Secretariat the number of applicants for asylum coming from Turkey has risen considerably this year. Considering that the internal problems of Turkey should not be reflected on us again would it be not necessary for the Federal Council to talk to Turkey?"
Foreign Minister: we are following the situation
Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazo Cassis, who responded verbally to the motions of the SP deputies, said that the dismissal of the mayors is a matter of concern for them, adding that they are closely following the issue.
"The Federal Council attaches great importance to the Turkish government's respect for human rights and democracy", added the minister.
