Sarya Deniz

News Center- People in Turkish and Kurdish cities casted their votes to elect mayors and administrators in local elections on March 31. In Kurdish cities, thousands of voters, especially soldiers and police officers, were brought from different cities by buses to cast their votes. Even some ballot boxes were allocated only for these people. For instance, only one of 120 people casted their votes in a ballot box in Kars was a registered voter. In some cities, some casted votes for other people while some casted votes many times. In some cities, AKP members showed their guns to threaten people. Despite election fraud, voting rights violations and “transported voters”, the Supreme Election Council of Turkey ignored them and announced, “The elections went smoothly”. People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) MPs and observers called on people to protect their votes and ballot boxes, emphasizing that there were attempts to implement a different version of appointed mayors in Kurdish cities.

AKP’s dream for Amed

Despite the election fraud, the DEM Party has won a majority in Amed (Diyarbakır). Since 2003, the AKP has not won the local elections in Amed. In 2016, the AKP government appointed trustees to the municipalities in Amed, dreaming of winning the next local elections. In 2019 local elections, the AKP’s mayoral candidate for Amed was Etimesgut District Governor Cumali Atilla, who was appointed as mayor in Amed in 2016. However, he lost the elections.

It appointed mayors again

In 2019 local elections, the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) won 62.93 percent of the votes. Therefore, the elected mayors in Amed were replaced by state-appointed mayors again. Selçuk Mızraklı, Co-mayor of the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality, was arrested and he has been behind bars since then.

People respond to Erdoğan in 2024 local elections

Before the 2024 local elections, Erdoğan said, “I want Diyarbakır this time”. The AKP aimed to win municipalities in Amed in order to realize its dream. Despite election fraud, the people of Amed voted for their party, DEM Party, in the local elections.

People of Amed do not give up their will

The people of Amed voted for the DEM Party in 2024 local elections to send back the appointed mayors. The election results in Amed shows that the will of the people in Amed cannot be destroyed despite the appointed mayors and oppression policies.

‘We protect our will’

Halide Türkoğlu, Spokesperson of DEM Party Women’s Council, was in Amed’s Hazro district yesterday to observe the election process. Recalling that Amed had been governed by appointed mayors for about eight years, she said, “The aim of the appointed mayors was to usurp the will of people in Amed and its districts. Despite election fraud and transported voters, we protect our will today. We will see the results of this together.”

Women will take back what the appointed mayors usurped

After eight-year of appointed mayors, the will of people and women is reflected in the local elections, Halide Türkoğlu said, “This is important for us. The next step is to send the appointed mayors back.

“People reflected their will in the local elections and decided to send the appointed mayors back. We will reopen the women’s centers that were closed down by the appointed mayors. Women casted their votes to protect their gains and reflect their will.”