DIE LINKE urges Germany to act for usurped HDP municipalities

Co-Chair of the DIE LINKE party has called for German authorities to act regarding the removal of the co-mayors of Amed, Van and Mardin.

Reactions continue to pour in against the AKP regime’s seizure of the metropolitan municipalities of Amed, Van and Mardin which were won by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in March 31 local elections. The dismissed co-mayors were replaced by the governors appointed by the AKP government to take over the administration of the three municipalities.

Katja Kipping, Co-Chair of the DIE LINKE party, spoke to AFP strongly criticizing the dismissal of the Kurdish co-mayors.

Kipping said the German Foreign Ministry’s silence on the appointment of trustees to HDP municipalities was a “disgrace” and called for German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas to summon the Turkish ambassador in Berlin to the Foreign Ministry to discuss the matter.

“Maas should give the Turkish ambassador the message that the persecuted democratic opposition in Turkey are not alone and are supported by the democrats in Germany,” said Kipping.

Kipping remarked that Maas should avoid adopting an attitude like former Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, a social democratic politician, who voiced only soft criticism against Turkey during his term.

The German government has yet to make an official statement on the seizure of HDP municipalities despite the critisicm voiced by many circles including the Left Party and the Greens. The silence of the Merkel-led German government is commented as a policy to avoid tension with the Erdoğan regime.