News Center- Turkish Ministry of Internal Affairs announced Monday that the Co-mayors of Mardin, Êlih (Batman) and Xelfetî (Halfeti), three municipalities run by the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party), have been removed from office and trustees have been appointed in their place.

Following the appointment of the trustees to three Kurdish municipalities, many politicians, activists and NGOs have released statements, condemning the state-appointed trustees.

‘You cannot make people kneel down!’

 “On the anniversary of the political coup of November 4, 2016, the trustees appointed to municipalities of Mardin, Batman and Halfeti and the mindset that insists on this coup should know that you cannot make people kneel down!” said Amed (Diayrbakır) Co-mayor Serra Bucak on the social media platform X. “The will that comes out of the ballot box in local elections is the will of the people and this should not be forgotten that how much anti-democratic practices and oppression intensify, the Kurdish and Turkish people will definitely say stop to this order and this state of affairs. No pasaran to trustees!”