Protests erupt in Turkey against Van mayor decision

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Thousands of people poured into the streets across several cities in Turkey on Wednesday to protest a decision from the Van branch of the country’s electoral body to prevent a pro-Kurdish party’s candidate in the city from taking up his role as mayor of the city, despite having won Sunday’s local elections.

The pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) announced on Tuesday that five minutes before the end of working hours on Friday, the Turkish justice ministry objected Van’s court’s decision to reinstate the party’s Van candidate mayor Abdullah Zeydan’s suspended rights, with the chief prosecutor’s office appealing to the court to revoke the decision on the same day, rendering his candidacy invalid.

On the same day, the Van branch of the country’s electoral body (YSK) ruled that Zeydan was not eligible to take part in the elections, handing the mayoralty of the Kurdish city to the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate Abdulahat Arvas, who garnered the second-highest number of votes.

Following the decision to strip Zeydan of the mayoralty, protests and demonstrations erupted across Kurdish cities. The Turkish interior ministry announced on Wednesday that it had detained 89 protesters across the country for “demonstrating without permission, shouting praises and supportive slogans” of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Despite a ban on protests announced by Van’s governorate the previous day, thousands of protesters poured into the streets and were joined by co-chairs of the DEM Party and several politicians from other opposition parties including the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Workers Party of Turkey (TIP).

“The [people’s] response has been given both at Newroz and here, the Kurdish people's demands for democracy cannot be suppressed by pressure and appointing trustees,” said Tuncer Bakirhan, DEM Party co-chair at the demonstrations in Van.

“Our call to the AK Party government is that as long as you usurp the will of the people, you are doomed to lose,” he added.

Veteran Kurdish politician Leyla Zana who was also among the protesters, called on the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to respect the will of the people of Van.

“When the choice of the Kurds is elected, democracy disappears. Respect the will of these people," Zana said.

In some parts of Van, police responded to the demonstrations by throwing tear gas cannisters at the protesters.

Apart from Van, people took to the streets in Istanbul and Diyarbakir (Amed) as well in protest of the decision. 

In Istanbul, several bar associations planned to read a statement in front of the Caglayan court building in Istanbul’s Sisli districts, but they were prevented from doing so by the intervention of the police.

Three lawyers were injured in the altercations with the police in Istanbul, and at least 10 others were arrested according to Rudaw’s reporter on the ground.

Members and supporters of the DEM Party staged a protest in Diyarbakir by driving a convoy throughout the city, demanding the elected Zeydan assume his role as the mayor of Van.

The decision to prevent Zeydan from taking up his position as mayor of Van drew the ire of politicians and civil rights activists across Turkey, including the opposition’s Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Ozgur Ozel who described the decision a “disgrace” and “an ambush against the will of the people.”

Jailed Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtas released a message to the public through the DEM Party, calling on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to abide by what he said on Sunday night following the vote, when he stated that AKP respects the outcomes of the elections.

“I would like to address Mr. President [Erdogan]. On election night, you stated that you would respect the will of the people and acknowledged the message. Unfortunately, what is happening in Van is not in line with your messages. Respect for the will of the people cannot be shown in this way,’” said Demirtas, adding that the people will not accept such a decision.

“We expect you to put an end to this course of action from the very beginning,” he added.