BDP leader sees "ethnic cleaning" in Turkey's decision to remove Kurdish mayors

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey – The co-leader of the pro-Kurdish Democratic Regions Party (BDP) accused the Turkish government of "ethnic cleansing" against the country's Kurdish people through its removal of "the elected mayors" in dozens of cities and towns. 

Speaking at a party conference in Diyarbakir on Wednesday Sebahe Tuncel said some 25 Kurdish mayors had been removed from their posts and replaced by trustees who, according to her, lacked public support. 

"It is a systematic effort to weaken and ethnically cleanse the Kurdish people in their own cities and areas. This should not be tolerated," Tuncel told the extraordinary BDP party conference that was held to discuss the mayor crisis in the Kurdish southeast. 

Turkish interior ministry announced on September 8 that it will reshuffle the staff in 28 municipalities for alleged links to "terror groups", 24 of whom have elected Kurdish mayors and members of the BDP. Ankara has appointed trustee mayors to most of the municipalities to fill the vacuum created by this move. 

"Turkey is a member of the world community, including the NATO and the United Nations which will not accept the kind of violation that takes place in Turkey in relation to basic human rights," said Ferat Anli, a mayor and BDP member in Diyarbakir.