The Turkish Government dismisses two mayors after being convicted of “terrorism” due to their alleged ties to the PKK

MADRID 22 Nov. () –

Turkey’s Interior Ministry announced this Friday the dismissal of two mayors in the east of the country after being convicted of “terrorism” for their alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organization.

The Interior Ministry has explained that the mayor of the city of Tunceli, Cevdet Konak, has been sentenced to six years and three months in prison for being a member of the PKK. His duties will be assumed by the town’s governor, Bulent Tekbiyikoglu.

Likewise, he indicated that the mayor of Ovacik, Mustafa Sarigul, has also been sentenced to six years and 3 months in prison for the same reasons. In his case, it will be Governor Huseyin Samil who will take care of his duties.

Konak is a member of the People’s Party for Equality and Democracy (DEM), Türkiye’s main pro-Kurdish party. The Government, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has accused the group on numerous occasions of having links with the PKK.

Sarigul, for his part, is from the Republican People’s Party (CHP), which declared itself the winner of the municipal elections held in March against the Justice and Development Party (AKP), of the Turkish president.

At the beginning of the month three other DEM mayors – from the cities of Mardin and Batman, as well as the town of Helfeti – were replaced by “administrators” appointed by the authorities after being convicted of “membership in a terrorist organization.” .