As part of the trend of appointing trustees to predominantly Kurdish towns in Turkey’s Southeast, the governor of Şanlıurfa is now requiring three local mayors to secure the approval of the governor’s office for implementation of their decisions.
The mayors of Viranşehir, Bozova and Halfeti from the Kurdish Democratic Regions Party (DBP) are required to ask the local governor for permission to engage in spending, bidding and other activities. The decision was taken as part of the emergency rule that went into effect after a failed coup on July 15. The municipalities were sent official instructions signed by Şanlıurfa Governor Güngör Azim Tuna. The statement said the decision was made based on informants’ calls to the governor’s office about the activities of the mayors.
A number of Kurdish mayors have been replaced by trustees in the post-coup period due to their alleged support of terrorism.