Turkey Arrests 5 DEM Party Officials Including Co-Mayors in Mersin on Terrorism Charges Amid Protests

Jan 13, 2025, 04:43 AM

In southern Turkey, co-mayors Hoşyar Sarıyıldız and Nuriye Arslan from the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party were detained on Jan. 10 and subsequently arrested on charges related to terrorism. The arrests took place in Mersin's Akdeniz district, where the co-mayors, along with 4 council members, were accused of 'membership in an organization' and other terrorism-related offenses, leading to a total of 5 arrests. Protests erupted outside the Akdeniz courthouse on Jan. 12 as locals and supporters gathered to demonstrate against the detentions, chanting slogans in support of the co-mayors and the municipality. The arrests are part of a broader pattern where the Turkish government has appointed trustees to replace elected DEM Party officials, with nine municipalities affected since the local elections in March 2024.