MESOP MIDEAST WATCH : What does Kılıçdaroğlu-Özdağ deal imply about removal of elected mayors in Kurdish cities?

The government has replaced all but a few of the HDP mayors in cities with a Kurdish majority since the 2019 local election. The Kılıçdaroğlu-Özdağ protocol pledges to maintain this practice, but exclusively for individuals with “proven connections to terrorism.”

Volga Kuşçuoğlu İstanbul – BIA News Desk 24 May 2023, Wednesday 12:45

Ahead of the presidential runoff vote to take place on Sunday, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, rival of the incumbent President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has secured the support of the far-right Victory (Zafer) Party.

The two leaders today signed a protocol outlining their cooperation, which focuses on fighting “terrorism” and sending back refugees.

The protocol also sheds light on the approach towards mayors from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) and their replacement by government-appointed “trustees.”

The HDP, in the 2019 local elections, won 65 municipalities in cities, districts, and towns. However, the Ministry of Interior has replaced the elected HDP mayors in all but six district municipalities, citing “terrorism-related” investigations. This action has resulted in the appointment of “trustees” to govern these municipalities, and in some cases, led to the imprisonment of the dismissed mayors.

This practice has drawn international condemnation, including from the Council of Europe, which said last year that it undermines democracy in Turkey, noting that the investigations against the local officials were based on a “broad definition” of terrorism.

Does Kılıçdaroğlu risk losing Kurdish votes?

The Kılıçdaroğlu-Özdağ protocol states that the practice of appointing state officials instead of local administrative officials with “proven legal connections to terrorism” will continue based on judicial decisions, as part of their pledge to wage “an effective and resolute fight against all terrorist organizations.”

However, there exists a subtle distinction between the current practice and the protocol. Presently, if a local administrator is under investigation, the Ministry of Interior has the authority to dismiss them, whereas the protocol suggests that local administrators with “proven connections to terrorism” can be dismissed from their positions.

Ahead of the first round of the election, Kılıçdaroğlu had repeatedly stressed that he was against the dismissal of mayors.

The significance of this agreement becomes more apparent when considering the electoral landscape. In the first round of the presidential vote, Kılıçdaroğlu achieved a landslide victory against Erdoğan in Kurdish-majority provinces where the HDP is traditionally strong.

Notably, in the May 14 election, the HDP participated under the banner of the Green Left Party, which endorsed Kılıçdaroğlu in the first round and continues to support him in the second round.

The HDP and the Green Left have convened their central executive committees to assess the situation and will issue a public statement afterward, as announced by the Green Left on Twitter a few hours after Özdağ and Kılıçdaroğlu’s press conference.

It remains to be seen whether Kılıçdaroğlu’s agreement with the ultranationalist leader will discourage the Kurdish voters from supporting him in the runoff election. (VK)