Turkey Removes Van Mayor, Appoints Trustee
The government’s move to replace the elected co-mayor of Van with a state-appointed trustee has drawn criticism from pro-Kurdish political circles and international observers.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Turkish Ministry of Interior has dismissed Abdullah Zeydan, the recently elected Co-Mayor of Van Metropolitan Municipality, and appointed the province’s governor, Ozan Balci, as his replacement.
The decision, which comes just days after Zeydan’s election, has been met with strong opposition from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) and sparked widespread protests in Van.
In an official statement, the Turkish Ministry of Interior justified its decision by citing Zeydan’s prior legal troubles.
A few days earlier, the Diyarbakir Criminal Court sentenced him to three years and nine months in prison on charges of alleged collaboration with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The government’s move to replace him with a state-appointed trustee has drawn criticism from pro-Kurdish political circles and international observers.
The DEM Party swiftly condemned the Turkish government’s decision, stating, "Appointing a trustee to replace the Co-Mayor of Van Metropolitan Municipality is a blow to the people's will."
The party further argued that the move is part of a broader pattern of undermining democratic governance in Kurdish-majority regions of Turkey.
Following the announcement, thousands of Van residents took to the streets in front of the municipal building to protest against what they perceive as an unjust and undemocratic intervention.
The demonstrators called for the reinstatement of Zeydan and demanded respect for the electoral process.
International Reactions
The European Parliament also weighed in on the controversy, issuing a statement condemning the Turkish government’s actions as "illegal."
The statement further asserted that the charges against both Abdullah Zeydan and Mohammed Siddiq Aksh, the Co-Mayor of Hakkari Municipality, are "unfounded."
The European Parliament’s condemnation reflects growing concerns among Western governments and human rights organizations over Turkey’s treatment of democratically elected officials, particularly in Kurdish-majority regions.
In previous years, Turkey has removed and jailed several mayors from pro-Kurdish parties, replacing them with state-appointed trustees—a practice that critics argue undermines local governance and democracy.
Broader Implications for Kurdish Political Representation
The latest dismissal of a DEM Party mayor is part of a wider trend in Turkey’s domestic politics, where opposition figures, particularly those affiliated with Kurdish parties, frequently face legal challenges and administrative removal.
Since 2016, dozens of pro-Kurdish mayors have been dismissed, arrested, or replaced by trustees under various legal pretexts.
The removal of Abdullah Zeydan and the subsequent protests in Van underscore the continuing tensions between the Turkish state and Kurdish political movements.
With municipal governance increasingly subject to state intervention, the future of democratic representation in Kurdish-majority areas remains uncertain.
