26/11/2021

TURKEY: Mayor of Arkah village in Tur Abdin Yusef Yar acquitted by Merdo Court

MERDO / TUR ABDIN, southeast Turkey — In 2020, Turkish authorities arrested the elected mayor of Arkah village in Tur Abdin in southeast Turkey Yusef Yar, a Syriac member of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) on dubious charges of “aiding a terrorist organization”. 

Yar was arrested in January 2020 at the same time as Syriac monk Sefer (Aho) Bileçen of the Mor Yahqup d-Qarno Monastery. Monk Aho was sentenced in April 2021 by a Turkish court to two years and one month in prison for providing two strangers, men whom the Turkish government claims are members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), with food and water. He remains in the monastery pending an appeal.

At that time, the mayor was arrested for five days and then released while his trial continued. However, upon his release, his mayoral seal was confiscated and Afram Dik (AKP) was temporarily appointed as mayor.

After several days in police custody, Yar was released. 

Today, the charges filed against Yar were dropped and he was acquitted by the Merdo Court. In an interview with SuroyoTV, Yar made it clear that he is very happy that all the charges against him were dropped and said he will continue his work.

Yar thanked everyone who supported him and contributed to his acquittal, especially his assistant Afrem Dik, who was temporarily appointed as mayor of the village.

He said he will return to his work as mayor once an official decision to acquit him is issued and the ban on his leaving the country is lifted.