Turkey to arrest pro-Kurdish MPs: Turkish columnist

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) - Turkish authorities will next arrest pro-Kurdish MPs of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), the pro-government columnist Abdulkadir Selvi wrote in the Hurriyet newspaper on Monday.

Selvi who frequently gives an insider's view of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) said the arrests are expected particularly after the Sunday government seizure of two dozen municipalities and removal of their mayors in the Kurdish region.

The columnist claimed the reason behind last week resignation of the former Interior Minister Efkan Ala was his opposition to the idea of removing elected officials.

The government accuses mayors of aiding and abetting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that is waging a decade-long guerrilla war for Kurdish autonomy against Turkish forces.

The mayors vehemently deny the accusations.

Seized municipalities are now run by government-appointed trustees most of whom are also sub-governors in Kurdish towns and cities.

The AKP-dominated Turkish Parliament passed a bill last May that stripped its members from immunity, a move disproportionately targeting the HDP, the third largest block whose MPs are charged with making propaganda for the "terrorist" PKK.

Over the past year, hundreds of provincial Kurdish politicians including a dozen mayors who demanded local autonomy have already been arrested.

ERDOGAN: A BELATED MOVE

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meanwhile said on Monday that the seizure of municipalities run by the HDP ally Democratic Regions Party (DBP) was his wish and a belated move.

"You cannot support terror organizations. You have no authority to do so," Erdogan told reporters, referring to the 28 ousted mayors.

Editing by Ava Homa
(Reporting by Ari Khalidi)