Viewers Corner News correspondent in Istanbul reported that Turkish government has removed three pro-Kurdish mayors from office and arrested more than 400 people on Monday, 19 August over alleged links to outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). According to the report, the mayors suspended are the mayor of Diyarbakir (Selcuk Mizrakli), Van mayor (Bedia Ozgokce Ertan) and Mardin mayor, all are members of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) elected in March 2019. The government of Turkey under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused the suspended mayors of spreading propaganda and being members of banned “PKK” which Turkey, European Union and United States designated as a terrorist organisation. The mayors’ roles according to Turkish government would be taken over by their provincial governors, who are appointed by the central government.
Source: Viewers Corner News.