New mayors appointed in SE Turkey

By Mehmet Arif Altunkaynak and Halil Ibrahim Sincar
MARDIN / HAKKARI, Turkey (AA) - Turkey on Friday appointed new mayors in the southeastern Hakkari and Mardin provinces following the arrest of their predecessors over terror ties.
Governor Idris Akbiyik was appointed as the new mayor of Hakkari after Cihan Karaman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) was arrested as part of an ongoing terrorism investigation.

District Governor Osman Dogramaci was appointed as the mayor of Yuksekova district of Hakkari province after HDP’s Remziye Yasar was arrested in the same case.

District Governor Mehmet Balikcilar assumed office of the mayor of Nusaybin district of Mardin after HDP's Semire Nergiz was arrested.

In mid-August, the mayors in Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van provinces were suspended over alleged terror links; they were all from the HDP, which Turkey's government accuses of having links to the PKK terror group.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the European Union -- has been responsible for deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.

*Writing by Ali Murat Alhas