While the Turkish government maintained that the recent ousting of three Kurdish mayors from office was the result of investigations that were launched after the election, a document from the Interior Ministry about Diyarbakır Mayor Adnan Mızraklı showed that the process for his removal based on ongoing investigations began the day after the local elections of March 31, the Artı Gerçek news website reported on Thursday.
The document, approved by Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu, refers to a previous report sent by the Diyarbakır Governor’s Office dated April 1, the day following the local polls, which notified the ministry of a number of ongoing terrorism-related investigations into Mızraklı and called for the appointment of a trustee to replace him.
Mehmet Emin Aktar, a lawyer for Mızraklı, claimed that the document reveals the political nature of the government’s decision.
Prior to the polls, the Supreme Election Board (YSK) had not objected to the candidacy of the three Kurdish mayors.