Kars Municipality Co-Mayor Ayhan Bilgen - a prominent mayor in eastern Turkey working as mayor of the pro-Kurdish party HDP and one of the few who managed to retain his position during the relentless purge, was arrested within the scope of the Kobanê protests which took place 6 years ago and dismissed by the interior minister. Kars Governor Türker Öksüz was appointed as trustee to Kars Municipality to replace Bilgen. The statement made by the interior minister is as follows:
"The Mayor of Kars Ayhan BILGEN, who was taken into custody on 25.09.2020 by Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office for the crime of violating the Unity of the State and the Unity of the Country of within the scope of the Kobane operations file numbered 2014/146757 and was arrested on 02.10.2020 within the scope of this file, suspended from his duty as a temporary measure with the approval of the Ministry of Interior dated 02/10/2020.
However, according to the Article 45 of the Municipality Law section 5393, in cases where the mayor or deputy mayor or council member is suspended from office or arrested or banned from public service or terminated as a chairman or member of the council for crimes of aiding and abetting terrorist organizations the mayor or vice president or council member is appointed by the authorities stated in article. With the provision stated in Article 46 the person to be appointed must be eligible to be elected. In case the mayor's office is vacated for any reason and a new mayor or vice mayor cannot be elected, until the election is made, the minister of interior in metropolitan and provincial municipalities, and in other municipalities decisions are approved by the state authorities. In accordance with the “The person to be appointed must have the competence to be elected as mayor. However Türker Öksüz, was appointed as the Deputy Mayor of Kars with the approval of the Ministry of Internal Affairs dated 02.10.2020. "
The Ministry of Interior dismissed Kars Co-Mayor Ayhan Bilgen, who was arrested together with 16 HDP politicians on the grounds of the 2014 Kobanê protests. Immediately after Bilgen was arrested, the Ministry appointed Kars Governor Türker Öksüz as trustee. 5 Municipal Council members and 2 Provincial General Assembly members, including Mayor Şevin Alaca, who was detained in Kars yesterday, were suspended from duty.
HDP won a total of 65 municipalities in the local elections on 31 March 2019. With the last trustee appointment, trustees have been appointed to 48 HDP municipalities replacing the elected mayors. 6 elected co-mayors of the party were not given their deeds on the grounds that they had a decree law.
Ayhan Bilgen, who was taken into custody within the scope of the operation against HDP members, sent a message while he was in custody and said, "If a trustee is not appointed until my detention period is over, I will resign from my post as mayor." After Bilgen's resignation announcement, a crackdown on HDP was also launched in Kars, and 19 people, including Kars Municipality Co-Mayor Şevin Alaca and HDP members of Council, were detained in raids on many houses. Alaca, 5 Municipal Council members and 2 Provincial General Assembly members were dismissed.
Evaluating the detention of Bilgen, Kars Municipality Co-Mayor Şevin Alaca emphasized that democratic municipals were targeted with this the operation. In Kars Municipality, a foreclosure was made on 20 August due to debts left by the previous administrations. Municipal supplies were confiscated despite the "public interest" and "non-seizable goods" decision. Ayhan Bilgen stated that there is no legal basis for the attachment of the salaries of municipal employees. In April, 3 people entered Kars Municipality and attacked security guards and destroyed materials in the municipality building. While no action is taken about the perpetrators of the attack; "we tripped on the table” said the attackers in their mocking statements. Kars Municipality Co-Mayors Expressed the attacks as preparation to appoint their own trustees also made calls to stand against such attempts at the time. (EVRENSEL DAILY)
Aydin Çubukçu
Yücel Özdemir
M. Sinan Birdal