The European Parliament’s Turkey rapporteur, Nacho Sanchez Amor, has called on the European Union to give a “clear” answer on the recent removal of democratically elected mayors in Turkey, describing the move as a “blatant attack to democracy” by the Turkish government.
In a sweep, the mayors of the southeastern cities of Mardin and Batman as well as Halfeti — a district in Şanlıurfa province — were removed from their positions and replaced with trustees, the Turkish Interior Ministry said on Monday.
All three belong to the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), the main pro-Kurdish party, and were elected in the March local election when opposition candidates won in numerous towns and cities, including İstanbul.
The ministry’s move, which follows removal of a district mayor, Ahmet Özer, from the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in İstanbul last week, has sparked widespread condemnation and protests on the grounds that it violates the people’s democratic will and choices.
Amor, who also criticized the removal of Özer last week, wrote on X on Monday that it is now the turn of the Mardin, Batman and Halfeti district municipalities, seats all won by the DEM Party in the local elections on March 31, to be hit with trustee appointments.
“Whatever the allegations, the whole system of trustees is a blatant attack to democracy by the Turkish government, usurping the will of the people, that needs a clear EU answer,” he posted.
And now it's the turn of #Mardin, #Batman & #Halfeti district, all clearly won by @DEMGenelMerkezi in last local 🗳️. Whatever the allegations, the whole system of trustees is a blatant attack to democracy by 🇹🇷 Gov, usurping the will of the people, that needs a clear #EU answer
— Nacho Sánchez Amor (@NachoSAmor) November 4, 2024
In the wake of Özer’s removal on terrorism accusations last week and his replacement with a government official, Amor called for sanctions on the trustees under the EU’s Magnitsky Act as a violation of human rights and responsibilities.
The Magnitsky Act refers to laws enabling governments to impose sanctions on foreign individuals involved in human rights abuses or significant corruption. These laws originated in the United States, which passed the first Magnitsky legislation in 2012 following the torture and death of Sergei Magnitsky in Russia in 2009. Since then, several other countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union, have enacted similar legislation.
Amor also argued that if a mayor needs to be replaced, the substitute should be a local councilor from the winning party.
All four mayors have been removed from office for convictions and charges on terrorism-related offenses, from membership in an armed group to disseminating propaganda for the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The PKK has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state that has killed thousand and is designated as a terrorist group by Turkey and its Western allies.
Dozens of pro-Kurdish mayors from its predecessor parties have been removed from office on similar charges in the past. The Turkish government has claimed the appointment of trustees was a counterterrorism measure and that the elected mayors were funneling municipal funds to the PKK. Pro-Kurdish parties strongly reject the allegations, calling them politically motivated. Notably, however, the Turkish government has also recently called for outreach to the Kurdish community in the country.