Protests Erupt in Istanbul Over Mayor’s Arrest

Hundreds of individuals gathered in Istanbul on Thursday to voice their opposition to the arrest and subsequent removal from office of a mayor affiliated with Turkey’s primary opposition party, following accusations linking him to a proscribed Kurdish militant organization.

Ahmet Ozer, who serves as the mayor of Esenyurt, a district in Istanbul, and is associated with the Republican People’s Party (CHP), was apprehended on Wednesday by anti-terrorism authorities due to alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). On Thursday, Ozer was replaced by Istanbul’s deputy governor, a decision that CHP leader Ozgur Ozel and several other political figures condemned as a “coup.”

This arrest occurs amid ongoing discussions in Turkey regarding a fragile peace initiative aimed at resolving a 40-year conflict between the PKK and the Turkish government, a struggle that has resulted in countless casualties.

Protesters filled a square in Esenyurt, defying a government prohibition on a gathering outside the municipal building. Many demonstrators carried signs stating, “(We want) an elected mayor not an appointed mayor,” and expressed demands for the resignation of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s administration.

Tulay Hatimogullari, who leads the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party, declared, “In our view, this government, which acts against the law and infringes upon the constitution, has executed a political coup. We will never endorse it.” Her supporters joined the demonstration, illustrating a show of solidarity.

Ozel, whose party had made significant advancements in local elections earlier this year, has called for the initiation of early elections in response to the unfolding situation.

The 64-year-old Ozer, who hails from Van in eastern Turkey and has an academic background, was elected as the mayor of Esenyurt in the local elections held in March. The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office reported that an investigation had revealed Ozer maintained connections with PKK figures for over a decade, as per the state-run news agency Anadolu Agency.

Political figures and members of Turkey’s pro-Kurdish movements have faced increased scrutiny and targeting due to alleged affiliations with the PKK, which is recognized as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. Numerous legislators have had their parliamentary seats revoked, and mayors have been ousted from their positions. Since 2016, several lawmakers and thousands of party affiliates have been incarcerated on terrorism-related accusations.

While other opposition parties remain relatively unaffected, CHP’s metropolitan mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, is currently contesting a prison sentence and political ban that was imposed by a court in December 2022 for allegedly “insulting” members of Turkey’s election authority in 2019.

Imamoglu accused Erdogan’s administration of devising a “dirty game” to remove the Esenyurt municipality from opposition control by unjustly labeling Ozer as a terrorist for fabricated reasons.