Turkey appoints trustees to southeastern municipalities

By Aziz Aslan

DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (AA) – Two municipalities in Turkey’s southeast were taken over by government-appointed trustees on Thursday.

Trustees were sent to Diyarbakir province’s Sur and Silvan districts as part of a state decree.

The appointees were chosen from district governors.

Sur mayor Seyid Narin and Silvan mayor Yuksel Bodakci are currently being prosecuted for earlier declarations of “self-governance”.

Both are accused of “disrupting the unity and territorial integrity of the state,” and could face aggravated life imprisonment if convicted.

Turkey has previously appointed trustees to government institutions and business groups but Thursday’s move is the first time municipalities have come under direct control.

Tension is high in southeastern Turkey since the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and EU -- resumed its decades-old armed campaign in July last year.

Since then, more than 600 security personnel have been martyred and more than 7,000 PKK terrorists killed.