- Title: Turkey replaces three pro-Kurdish party mayors over terror probes
- Date: 19th August 2019
- Summary: DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY (AUGUST 19, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF POLICEMEN LINED UP OUTSIDE DIYARBAKIR CITY HALL POLICE FENCES BEING ERECTED OUTSIDE DIYARBAKIR CITY HALL POLICEMEN MOUNTING SECURITY FENCES BEING ERECTED SIGN OF DIYARBAKIR CITY HALL POLICEMEN BY SECURITY FENCES DISMISSED PRO-KURDISH MAYOR OF DIYARBAKIR SELCUK MIZRAKLI TALKING TO REPORTERS (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) DISMISSED PRO-KURDISH MAYOR OF DIYARBAKIR, SELCUK MIZRAKLI, SAYING: "It is impossible for me to accept this procedure within the rules of law. In this framework, no matter if it happens in Diyarbakir or Van or Mardin, this procedure signals a new period in Turkey. Like the earthquake of August 17, 1999 that is marked (as the deadliest earthquake) in history, this (incident) will be marked as the earthquake of August 19 with regards to the political and democratic values as well as the rule of law in Turkey." POLICEMEN WIELDING PLASTIC REINFORCED SHIELDS ARRIVING AT CITY HALL POLICEMEN AT THE ENTRANCE OF CITY HALL AS SEEN THROUGH POLICE FENCES VARIOUS OF POLICEMEN MOUNTING SECURITY OUTSIDE THE CITY HALL CAR CARRYING GOVERNOR HASAN GUZELOGLU, WHO IS APPOINTED AS THE NEW MAYOR OF DIYARBAKIR, ARRIVING AT CITY HALL
- Embargoed: 2nd September 2019 08:21
- Keywords: Turkey pro-Kurdish mayors replaced terror probes
- Location: DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY
- City: DIYARBAKIR, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA001ASVTZK7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Turkey replaced the pro-Kurdish party mayors of the southeastern cities of Diyarbakir, Van and Mardin on Monday (August 19) over terrorism-related investigations, appointing the state governors in those provinces in their place, the Interior Ministry said.
The three mayors were accused of various crimes including membership of a terrorist organisation and spreading terrorist group propaganda, the ministry said in a statement.
Turkey dismissed dozens of mayors in the country's mainly Kurdish southeast in 2016 over suspected links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group, replacing them with state administrators.
Ahead of local elections in March, President Tayyip Erdogan warned that mayors from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) could again be dismissed if they, like their predecessors, are deemed to have ties to militants.
Erdogan frequently accuses the HDP of links to the PKK, which is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and United States. The HDP denies such links.
The PKK launched an insurgency in 1984. More than 40,000 people have been killed in the conflict.
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