News Center- Protests that started after Abdullah Zeydan, DEM Party’s Co-mayoral candidate for Van Metropolitan Municipality, was divested of his right to be elected five minutes before the end of the working day on Friday, March 29, 2024, two days before the local elections held on March 31, continue in the city of Van.

On Tuesday, the Van Provincial Election Board gave mandate to Abdulahat Arvas, AKP’s mayoral candidate for Van, who received 27,15% of votes although Abdullah Zeydan, DEM Party’s co-mayoral candidate for Van, got a majority of votes (55,48%) in the local elections held on March 31.

The Ecology Union (Turkish: Ekoloji Birliği), an umbrella organization of the environmental groups and organizations across Turkey, has released a statement calling on all opposition parties and people defending democracy to support the people of Van.

“Giving mandate to AKP’s mayoral candidate is unacceptable,” the statement said. “The nation state keeps using its monist, usurper, assimilationist policies against the Kurdish people.”

Recalling the mayors appointed to the municipalities in Kurdish cities, the statement added, “These policies were not accepted by the people and they will not be accepted.”

Call on the public

The usurpation of the will of the people must be stopped immediately. Abdullah Zeydan was elected as co-mayor of the Van Metropolitan Municipality by the people of Van. The election board should give mandate to him immediately.

We urge the AKP government, press outlets and election boards to respect the will of the people in Van. We urge all opposition parties and organizations defending democracy to support the people of Van.”