Turkey: Opposition criticizes caretaker mayor post

By Muhammet Emin Avundukluoglu

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey's opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on Tuesday criticized the government's appointment of caretaker mayors to replace mayors who have been suspended over suspected links to terrorism in a number of eastern provinces and districts.

"The trustees that you have appointed from Ankara are illegitimate and unlawful in the eyes of the people," told HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan told her party's lawmakers.

Buldan's remarks came after the government appointed on Monday an acting district mayor to Kiziltepe district of the country's southeastern Mardin province.

Buldan claimed that the acting district mayors "illegally" occupied the offices.

The trustees made history as ''political predators'', occupying the places where they could not win with elections, she said.

On Oct. 22, Turkey appointed an acting district mayor in the eastern Van province after the mayor was suspended over suspected links to YPG/PKK terrorist group.

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

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 the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.