Turkey replaces three HDP mayors with suspected ties to PKK terror group

Turkey replaced party mayors of the southeastern cities of Diyarbakir, Van and Mardin on Monday over terrorism-related investigations, appointing the state governors in those provinces in their place, the Interior Ministry said.

The three mayors were accused of various crimes including membership of a terrorist organisation and spreading terrorist group propaganda, the ministry said in a statement.

Turkey dismissed dozens of mayors in the country's southeast in 2016 over suspected links to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) terror group, replacing them with state administrators.

Ahead of local elections in March, President Tayyip Erdogan warned that mayors from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) could again be dismissed if they, like their predecessors, are deemed to have ties to terrorists.

All mayors are from the opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), a party Turkey's government has accused of having links to the PKK terror group.

The state-appointed governors of the provinces will temporarily replace suspended mayors.

The Interior Ministry, later, released a statement in three languages including Kurdish and English regarding the incident, saying: "Our Ministry suspended mayors, who were identified and proven to be engaged and affiliated with terrorist organizations and to support them, from their duties pursuant to the Article 127 of the Constitution and the Article 47 of the Municipality Law No. 5393. In substitution for them, acting mayors were appointed in accordance with the Article 45 of the Municipality Law".

"As a result of the heavy struggle of all units of the State in this process, the participation to the terrorist organizations have fallen to the lowest level of the last 30 years and the number of terrorists in our territories have declined from the figures of 1,800-2,000 to some 600," it said.

"The resources of municipalities in many provinces/districts in the eastern and southeastern region have been canalized for local services instead of financing the terrorist organization while our provinces, intended to be turned into a chaotic structure through the trenches and barricades erected by the terrorist organization and its supporters have been introduced with the genuine municipalism highlighting the peace and service. Thanks to this, public resources have been secured and the level of peace and prosperity of our citizens have enhanced by means of mobilizing the resources into municipal services," the ministry noted.

"Therefore, persons, in particular Ahmet Turk who was under custody, but was ruled to be jailed trial without arrest on account of his health problems, indicted and prosecuted due to offenses of forming or commanding an armed terrorist organization, becoming a member of an armed terrorist organization, making propaganda for the terrorist organization, praising an offense and offender were deliberately and willfully nominated as mayor candidate in some municipalities," it said.

The PKK launched an insurgency in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.