Turkish authorities have ousted the elected co-mayors of Van (Wan) Metropolitan Municipality, Abdullah Zeydan and Neslihan Şedal, replacing them with a state-appointed trustee. The move has sparked strong condemnation from opposition politicians and international observers, who view it as part of a growing pattern of suppressing local democracy in Turkey.

MP Vezir Parlak of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party described the move as “unlawful” and addressed the Turkish Grand National Assembly on Tuesday with a statement from the dismissed mayors. “The trustee policy is plunder, it is usurpation, it is the disregard of the people’s will. We must expose this plot,” they stated.

Zeydan’s removal follows a controversial legal battle. After winning the 31 March 2024 elections by a significant margin, his mandate was challenged by a local electoral board. However, Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK) reinstated him, making his recent dismissal particularly contentious.

“This is nothing short of a coup against the will of the people,” Zeydan said on social media platform X. “They are using police violence and torture against those who resist this unlawful seizure of power. The perpetrators of this oppression will one day be held accountable before the law.”

The dismissal has triggered widespread protests in Van, with demonstrators accusing the government of undermining democratic governance in Kurdish-majority cities. Police forces responded with violent interventions and mass arrests, reportedly detaining dozens.

Adalet Kaya, DEM Party MP and the president of the Rosa Women’s Organisation, condemned the repression, particularly against women. “The violence disproportionately targets Kurdish women and elected officials. The government fears the freedom struggle led by women, because they know it represents hope for all oppressed peoples,” she stated.

International observers have also raised the alarm. Council of Europe Rapporteurs David Eray and Bryony Rudkin, from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, described the move as “a deliberate and calculated delegitimisation” of opposition mayors.

“Since Turkey’s 2024 local elections, ten mayors have been removed, disenfranchising close to four million voters,” the rapporteurs warned, calling on Ankara to respect democratic principles. The European body plans to discuss the matter at its monitoring committee meeting on 25 February in Strasbourg.

Meanwhile, local activists and opposition figures have vowed to continue resisting what they call an “institutionalised state crackdown” on democracy. Reports of police violence in Van persist, with security forces intensifying their crackdown on protesters and opposition figures.