Turkish main opposition leader on ousting of Van mayor: ‘Erdoğan continues putschist tradition’

Turkish main opposition CHP leader Özel has accused President Erdoğan of “continuing putschist tradition” while commenting on the government’s ousting of Van co-Mayor Zeydan from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party.

Sunday February 16 2025 02:48 pm

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Turkish main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Özgür Özel on Feb. 15 slammed the government’s move to oust Van co-Mayor Abdullah Zeydan from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party.

The Interior Ministry on the same day appointed a trustee mayor to replace Zeydan after the latter was sentenced to three years and nine months in prison on charges of “aiding a terrorist organization" and "making propaganda for a terrorist organization through media.”

In a social media statement, Özel reminded that the government ousted 11 mayors in 11 months since the March 2024 local elections, and “violated the will of the Van people” three times in a row.

İktidar partisi, Van Büyükşehir Belediyesi'ne atadığı kayyımla 11 ayda 11 seçilmiş belediye başkanını görevinden uzaklaştırmış oldu.

Bekir Kaya ve Bedia Özgökçe Ertan'dan sonra 3'üncü kez üstüste Van halkının iradesi çiğnenmiş, Abdullah Zeydan seçimleri kazandığı kente hizmet…
— Özgür Özel (@eczozgurozel) February 15, 2025

Nine of these mayors are from the DEM Party, whereas two Istanbul district mayors are from the CHP.

“Tayyip Erdoğan continues the putschist tradition started by Kenan Evren when he removed Terzi (Tailor) Fikri in Fatsa,” Özel said.

Fikri Sönmez, known as Tailor Fikri, was a district mayor in Ordu’s Fatsa in 1979-1980. He was arrested by the Turkish military in July 1980 for “establishing a communist government” in Fatsa.

Kenan Evren was the Chief of General Staff at the time, who later led a military coup in the same year, overthrowing the government. He was the President until 1989.

Özel also said that they “will continue to stand by elected executives at all levels and the will of the people.”

He once again called for an early election “to defeat this government, which uses executive powers but has fallen out of favor with our nation, trampling on democracy, law, and freedoms.”

After Zeydan was replaced by a trustee, the DEM Party and thousands of Van people protested the move in the eastern province. During the protest, the police detained 127 people.

Topics Özgür Özel Erdoğan Abdullah Zeydan Van Trustee mayors