ANKARA, Turkey — On Friday, Turkey removed two more mayors affiliated with the pro-Kurdish party from their positions, appointing state administrators in their place, due to allegations related to terrorism.
This latest decision increases the total number of mayors dismissed since October to six.

According to a statement released by the Interior Ministry, the mayor of Tunceli, a city primarily populated by Kurdish individuals, was dismissed due to a prior conviction and an ongoing investigation concerning ties to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Additionally, the district mayor of Ovacik in Tunceli province was removed because of a past conviction for being a member of the PKK.

Both mayors are members of the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), the third-largest political party in the Turkish Parliament, and were elected during the local elections held in March.
Among the mayors previously removed was Ahmet Ozer, the mayor of Esenyurt, a district in Istanbul, who is affiliated with the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP). Ozer was arrested last month due to alleged links to the PKK.

Several other mayors aligned with the pro-Kurdish party have also faced similar dismissals in the aftermath of local elections.
The Turkish government, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has justified these actions as necessary for public safety.
Nevertheless, opposition parties and human rights organizations argue that these moves threaten democratic processes, claiming that the allegations against the mayors are frequently politically motivated.

The PKK has waged an armed struggle against the Turkish state since the 1980s and is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. The protracted conflict has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands over the decades.