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Trustees Assigned to Key Municipalities in Turkey Amid Political Tensions
By a decision issued by the Turkish Ministry of Interior, trustees have been appointed for the Greater Mardin Municipality and the municipalities of Batman (Elih) and Hilvan in the province of Urfa (Raha).
Reports indicate that security forces surrounded the Greater Mardin Municipality building today, November 4, 2024, and informed the co-chair of the Greater Mardin Municipality, Ahmed Turk, of the Ministry of Interior's decision.
In another development, Turkish media reported that a trustee was also appointed for the Batman (Elih) Municipality today.
The co-chair of the Batman Municipality, Kulistan Sonuk, was informed of the trustee appointment decision by the Ministry of Interior, who is Akram Canalp, the governor of Batman.
This morning, a trustee was also appointed for the Hilvan Municipality in the province of Urfa (Raha).
The three municipalities that have had trustees appointed are headed by the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).
Ahmed Turk and the other municipality heads were elected during the local elections last March, where the opposition achieved a significant victory over the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
These dismissals came just a few days after the arrest of the mayor of one of Istanbul's districts, who belongs to the Republican People's Party, the largest opposition party.
