Turkish government seizes another HDP-run municipality

The Turkish regime’s political genocide against the Kurdish people and their elected representatives continue unabated.

The elected co-mayors of the Sarıcan town, in Karakoçan district of Elazığ province in eastern Turkey, were taken into custody during house raids yesterday morning. The co-mayors, Bekir Polat and Canan Tağtekin, have been removed from the office by the Ministry of Interior and replaced by a trustee today. The deputy governor of Elazığ, Erkan Kaçmaz, has taken over the administration of the town.

Of the 65 municipalities won by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in the local elections of 31 March 2019, 46 have been seized by the government through the appointment of trustees. Six mother elected mayors were not even able to receive their mandate on the grounds on the grounds of their previous dismissal from public service with an emergency decree (KHK).