MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

 Colemêrg (Hakkari)- The detention of Mehmet Sıddık Akış, the elected Co-mayor of Hakkari Municipality and the appointment of a trustee to the municipality on June 3, 2024 have sparked outrage across Türkiye. After the People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) announced that they would hold protests until the withdrawal of the state-appointed trustee, people of Hakkari and DEM Party MPs held a march in the city, chanting slogans such as “We will resist and prevail”, “We do not want a thievish trustee” and “Jin Jiyan Azadi (Women, Life, Freedom)” despite the police blockage. After the march, they held a sit-in protest in front of the building of the Hakkari Governor's Office until this morning.

 Hakkari Co-mayor Viyan Tekçe thinks that Mehmet Sıddık Akış was detained and removed from office after they revealed the debt left by the previous state-appointed trustees and their corruption. “They appointed a trustee because they aim to maintain their corruption,” she said, stressing that the previous state-appointed trustees left a debt of 315 million 705,000 Turkish lira.

‘The government could not accept its defeat’

Viyan Tekçe indicated that the government could not accept its defeat in the local elections on March 31. “Our Co-mayor was detained in the early hours (on June 3) although there is no verdict against him. His removal from office is a coup against the will of people. The AKP-MHP government could not accept losing; they were defeated against the will of the people although they used all means. The people of Hakkari did not accept the coup against their will and they will not accept it. Although the mayors elected by them were removed from office twice, they casted their votes in the local elections on March 31 and elected their mayor. We will never accept the coup against the will of people and always speak out against it. They will never defeat the will of the people of Hakkari.”

‘They aim to maintain their corruption’

Viyan Tekçe emphasized that the trustee was appointed to the municipality on June 3 just after they exposed the corruption. “The trustee was appointed on the grounds of a case that started 10 years ago. The main reason for the appointment of the trustee is that the government could not accept the will of the people and victory of our party. The trustee was appointed just after we announced the corruption and theft in the municipality. While the people of Hakkari were expecting services, their money was spent elsewhere. We will keep exposing the damage caused by them to these people and municipalities.”

‘We will not remain silent’

At the end of her speech, Viyan Tekçe called on everyone to stand with the people of Hakkari. “All people and pro-democracy organizations must take to the streets to protest the coup against the people of Hakkari. We should remain silent against this coup or the government will remove mayors from office in other cities. We demand the government to respect the will of the people. We will not remain silent against this coup. We will not allow them to take away our will.”