Turkey had on Friday, dismissed two elected pro-Kurdish mayors in the eastern cities over convictions on terrorism-related offenses, according to the interior ministry.
Afterwards, the Turkish government temporarily appointed state officials in their places instead.
The local governor replaced mayor Cevdet Konak in Tunceli, while a local administrator was nominated in the place of Ovacik mayor Mustafa Sarigul.
The ministry had added that these were “temporary measures”.
Konak is a member of the pro-Kurdish DEM Party, with 57 seats in the national parliament, while Sarigul is a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).
Dozens of pro-Kurdish mayors from its predecessor parties have been dismissed from their posts on similar charges in the past.
CHP leader Ozgur Ozel said the authorities had regarded Sarigul’s attendance at a funeral as a crime and called the move to appoint a trustee “a theft of the national will”, adding his party would stand against the “injustice”.
Earlier this month, Turkey replaced three pro-Kurdish mayors in southeastern cities over similar terrorism-related reasons, inciting backlash from the DEM Party and several others.
The appointment of government trustees is coming on the heels of a surprise proposal by President Tayyip Erdogan’s main ally in October to end the state’s 40-year conflict with the PKK.
