Turkey ousts 3 elected pro-Kurdish mayors from office and replaces them with state officials

Turkey has removed 3 elected pro-Kurdish mayors from agency complete terrorism-related charges and replaced them pinch state-appointed officials

ANKARA, Turkey -- ANKARA, Turkey (AP) —

Turkey connected Monday removed 3 elected pro-Kurdish mayors from agency complete terrorism-related charges and replaced them pinch state-appointed officials, nan Interior Ministry said.

The move, which comes days aft nan apprehension and ouster from office of a politician from nan country's main guidance statement for his alleged links to a banned Kurdish militant group, is seen arsenic a hardening of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government’s policies toward nan opposition.

It besides raises questions astir nan prospects of a tentative caller bid effort to extremity a 40-year conflict betwixt nan militant group and nan authorities that has led to tens of thousands of deaths.

The mayors of nan chiefly Kurdish-populated provincial capitals of Mardin and Batman, arsenic good arsenic nan territory politician for Halfeti, successful Sanliurfa province, were ousted from agency complete their past convictions aliases ongoing tests and investigations for links to nan banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party, aliases PKK, according to an Interior Ministry statement.

The politician are members of nan pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, aliases DEM, which is nan third-largest statement represented successful Parliament. They were elected to agency successful local elections successful March.

Last month, nan leader of nan far-right nationalist statement that’s allied pinch Erdogan had raised nan anticipation that nan PKK's imprisoned leader could beryllium granted parole if he renounces violence and disbands his organization. His comments had sparked chat and speculation astir a imaginable bid effort.

Ozgur Ozel, nan leader of Turkey's main guidance party, CHP, branded nan mayors' removal from agency arsenic a “a coup” and accused Erdogan of seizing “municipalities” he could not triumph successful nan elections.

Politicians and members of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish activity person often been targeted complete alleged links to nan PKK, which is considered a panic statement by Turkey, nan U.S. and nan European Union.

Legislators person been stripped of their parliamentary seats and mayors removed from office. Several lawmakers arsenic good arsenic thousands of statement members person been jailed connected terror-related charges since 2016.

“We will not measurement backmost from our struggle for democracy, bid and freedom,” Ahmet Turk, nan ousted politician of Mardin, wrote connected nan societal level X. “We will not let nan usurpation of nan people’s will.”