The Turkish Ministry of Interior announced Monday that trustees have been appointed to the Mardin Metropolitan Municipality, Batman Municipality, and Halfeti Municipality in Şanlıurfa.

The mayors of these municipalities were dismissed due to alleged links with the "PKK/YPG terrorist organization", according to the ministry’s statement.

The DEM Party mayors Ahmet Türk of Mardin and Güliṡtan Sonuk of Batman have been removed from office.

The Ministry stated that all three mayors, including Halfeti Mayor Mehmet Karayılan, have been implicated in terrorism-related cases.

The Interior Ministry emphasized that these dismissals were preventive measures in accordance with Articles 127 of the Constitution and Articles 45, 46, and 47 of Municipal Law No. 5393.

Following the announcement, police forces implemented heightened security around the Batman Municipality. A confrontation reportedly broke out between DEM Party supporters and law enforcement near the Batman Municipality building.

In Mardin, the governor’s office has issued a 10-day ban on public gatherings, marches, press statements, and sit-in protests from November 4 to 14, stating that only events approved by local authorities would be permitted during this period.

These measures follow Türkiye’s increased scrutiny of municipal leaderships in regions affected by alleged PKK/YPG activity, marking a continuation of the government's hardline stance on terrorism-linked charges among local officials. (ILKHA)