Speaking at a statement made in front of Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality together with DEM Party provincial and district mayors, DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan said trustee appointments (kayyım) amounted to “the usurpation of the people’s will” and called for the reinstatement of the co-mayors in the 13 municipalities where trustees have been appointed.

DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan, together with Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayors Serra Bucak and Doğan Hatun; the co-mayors of Van Metropolitan Municipality, Neslihan Şedal and Abdullah Zeydan, who were replaced by trustee appointees; Mardin Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Devrim Demir; and DEM Party co-mayors from provincial and district municipalities, delivered a press statement outside Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality calling for co-mayors to return to their posts in trustee-appointed municipalities and for the practice of trustee rule to end.

‘The shame of trustee rule must be brought to an end’

In his remarks, DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan said they had come together under the hosting of Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality and held a highly productive discussion. Stating that meeting with elected representatives in local government during such significant periods gives them strength, Bakırhan recalled that the Kurdish political movement has accumulated experience in local government since 1999, even if that experience has at times been disrupted.

Bakırhan said: “Not only in Türkiye but across the world, we have delivered important projects that are democratic, transparent, committed to women’s freedom, and focused on services for children and disadvantaged groups. Today, we also spoke about what we have been able to do and what we have not; we discussed what needs to be done to be more strongly present in the field. We are approaching the anniversary of the trustee appointments, and we discussed trustee rule as well. For three terms, the people’s will has been usurped. I will not describe the picture of municipalities run by trustee appointees, but trustee rule has now become a source of shame for this country. This shame must be removed; the usurpation of the people’s will must come to an end.”

‘The public has made its stance against trustee rule clear’

Saying that the public has clearly demonstrated its stance against trustee appointments (kayyım), Bakırhan stressed that it is not right to insist on trustee rule at a time when the Peace and Democratic Society process is being discussed. He said those in power should abandon this insistence, continuing:

“Ahmets are not enough for office; Gülistans, Neslihans, Abdullahs, Mehmets, Devrims, Sofyas, Resul Emrah Şahans — the co-mayors of the 13 municipalities whose mandates were seized must return to their posts. There is no need for a new legal regulation for this. The trustees who were appointed on a temporary assignment on 4 March should not be reappointed, and the co-mayors should return to office. A new Minister of Interior has arrived; this could also be a test for the Minister — an opportunity to contribute to this process. We hope this will be the first step.”

Stating that municipalities have continued to deliver services and sustained projects despite all constraints, Bakırhan said: “If this is now truly the era of democratic politics, then the government should abandon its discriminatory stance and provide support so that our municipalities can deliver projects that make people’s lives easier. Our colleagues are doing everything they can, 24/7, so that residents can live more comfortably. If there are shortcomings, we will offer self-criticism; if there are gaps, we will address them together and complete them with more positive steps. At the same time, in a period where there are no investigations and detentions targeting local administrations, we will continue to produce better services for our people. I hope Ramadan brings about good things,” he said.