Yesterday, the Ministry of Internal Affairs appointed trustees to the municipalities of Mêrdîn (Mardin) Metropolitan, Êlih (Batman) and Riha (Urfa)/Xelfetî (Halfeti), which are governed by the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party). Protests against the decision continued throughout the day. 

 

Representatives of organizations in the Amed City Protection and Solidarity Platform described the trustee decision as “usurpation of the people's will”. 

 

ANTI-WOMEN POLICIES OF TRUSTEES

 

Rosa Women's Association President Suzan İşbilen said: “The reason for the appointment of trustees is the government's intolerance to politics and democracy.” Saying that the government resorted to trusteeship because it could not govern the country, “With the DEM Party's regaining the municipalities in Amed, a new color came to the city. Social activities and public meetings took place. There was normalization in Amed. In other words, Kurds started to create a local government where they can freely live their own culture and language,” she said. 

 

Reminding that the trustees appointed to municipalities in the past periods first closed women's institutions, İşbilen said: “Women who are victims of violence suffer a lot in this respect. They face many difficulties. At least for these 5 months, there is an address where women can go when they are subjected to violence. She can go very easily and get support. But on this occasion, the way for women was closed again. Again women were left alone with male violence.”

 

'BANKRUPT POLICY MUST BE ABANDONED'

 

Human Rights Association (IHD) Amed Branch Chair Ercan Yılmaz stated that the trustees are a result of the insolvency of the Kurdish issue, “The government has imposed an insolvency on this issue. Especially since October 1, when the possibility of discussing the Kurdish issue again through democratic ways and methods arose, it is understood that this practice is a declaration to continue the insolvency. The Kurdish issue must be resolved through democratic means and methods. The trustee practices must be abandoned,” he said. 

 

Pointing out that the trustees have caused a lot of damage in 8 years, Yılmaz said: “We think that this vicious cycle should be abandoned. This situation constitutes a grave violation of the right to vote and be elected. The municipality co-mayors elected by the citizens themselves cannot fulfill their duties. We want to emphasize that this is now a bankrupt policy.” 

 

'MAYORS MUST BE REINSTATED'

 

Emphasizing that the trustee practices are disrespectful to the will of the voters, Amed Bar Association President Abdulkadir Güleç said: “This is never an acceptable practice. It is also an unlawful practice. We do not find the trusteeship right. We want the government to respect the people's right to vote and be elected. We demand that mayors be reinstated instead of the appointed trustees. The people are also aware that the trusteeship is unlawful. The people have already demonstrated their democratic reaction against the trustee practices on March 31st. In many provinces and districts where trustees were appointed, the people went to the polls and voted. They have already given the message 'We elect the mayor, we elect the council'.” 

 

'WE HAVE NO TIME TO LOSE'

 

Serhat Kılıç, Co-Chair of Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim Sen) Branch No. 2, emphasized that they are facing a usurpation of the voters' will. Kılıç continued as follows: “They came to power democratically, but unfortunately we are facing intolerance. This has neither a moral nor a legal dimension. We are not new to this situation. For 8 years we have been facing this policy. Of course, this policy has not yielded any results for 8 years and it will not yield any results in the future. Everyone must oppose this immorality and lawlessness. Because we really have no time to lose anymore. This is an attack against our will and our existence. In the face of this, we are defending our will and our existence.” 

 

MA / Heval Önkol