Turkish government appoints trustees to Mardin, Batman, and Halfeti municipalities, sparking nationwide protests

ANKARA — Turkey’s Ministry of the Interior appointed trustees to the municipalities of Mardin, Batman, and Halfeti in Orhoy (Urfa). Security forces reportedly surrounded the Mardin Municipality headquarters, informing Co-Chair Ahmet Turk of the Interior Ministry’s decision.

Turkish media also reported that Batman’s Co-Chair Gulistan Sonuk was informed of trustee Akram Janalab’s appointment, who currently serves as the Batman Governor. A trustee was appointed to Halfeti Municipality yesterday morning. All three municipalities are led by the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party in Turkey.

Turk and the other two mayors were elected in last March’s local elections, where the opposition secured notable victories over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP).

This decision follows the recent arrest of a district mayor in Istanbul, a member of the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), over alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Protests erupted across Turkey, including Istanbul, with demonstrators clashing with security forces, who responded with water cannons, rubber bullets, tear gas, and, in some cases, live ammunition.

Authorities also detained dozens of protesters.