DIYARBAKIR, Turkey – A Kurdish MP has accused Turkey of arresting the co-mayors of the largely Kurdish city of Diyarbakir in order to replace them with Turkish nationalists.
“One of the objectives of Turkey behind this is to replace Diyarbakir co-mayors with Kayuums, as witnessed in 27 other municipalities,” said Feleknas Uca, a member of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). Kayuums are Turkish nationalists.
“Turkey is conquering our municipalities and arresting our co-mayors, yet tells us to be quiet, wanting us to accept this oppression. But we will not accept nor will we be quiet about this,” she declared.
They were allegedly charged with affiliation with the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Kışanak was returning from Ankara when she was arrested. She had been in the capital to testify about her recent interview with the editor-in-chief of the Zaman newspaper, which is alleged to be connected with the Fethullah Gülen movement that Ankara blames for staging the failed July 15 coup.
Kışanak was indicted in September by Diyarbakir’s Criminal Court over alleged support of the PKK, but was later exonerated by the court.
“One of the objectives of Turkey behind this is to replace Diyarbakir co-mayors with Kayuums, as witnessed in 27 other municipalities,” said Feleknas Uca, a member of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). Kayuums are Turkish nationalists.
“Turkey is conquering our municipalities and arresting our co-mayors, yet tells us to be quiet, wanting us to accept this oppression. But we will not accept nor will we be quiet about this,” she declared.
HDP members and civil society organizations took to the streets of Istanbul and Ankara on Wednesday to protest the arrests of the two Kurdish co-mayors Tuesday night. Gültan Kışanak was arrested at the airport and Fırat Anlı was arrested at his home. They are both members of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP).
They were allegedly charged with affiliation with the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Kışanak was returning from Ankara when she was arrested. She had been in the capital to testify about her recent interview with the editor-in-chief of the Zaman newspaper, which is alleged to be connected with the Fethullah Gülen movement that Ankara blames for staging the failed July 15 coup.
Kışanak was indicted in September by Diyarbakir’s Criminal Court over alleged support of the PKK, but was later exonerated by the court.
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