site.btaPro-Kurdish Mayor Arrested in Southern Turkiye

A pro-Kurdish mayor and five municipal council members from the DEM party were arrested on Friday in Mersin, Southern Turkiye, on charges of propaganda for a terrorist organisation, Anadolu Agency reported.

Mersin’s Akdeniz municipality mayor, Hosyar Sariyildiz, and five members of the municipal council were detained on Friday morning. The arrests were carried out under orders from the Mersin Chief Prosecutor’s Office following an investigation into individuals suspected of “propaganda in favour of a terrorist organisation,” “membership in an armed terrorist organisation,” “violating the law on the prevention of terrorism financing,” and “breaching the law on assemblies and demonstrations,” Anadolu Agency noted.

Police teams searched the Akdeniz municipality building, which has been placed under heightened security measures.

The pro-Kurdish DEM party holds 57 seats in Turkiye's 600-seat parliament.

A statement from DEM, posted on the party's social media account on X, described the investigation as "fabricated."

Over recent years, many pro-Kurdish mayors and local government officials have been detained in similar operations. Their positions are typically filled by state-appointed administrators.

Turkish authorities claim that the DEM party is linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

The PKK has been engaged in armed conflict against the Turkish state since 1984 and is designated as a terrorist organisation by Ankara, the EU, and the US.