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Turkey: co-mayors of DiyarbakÄ±r, former MP arrested

31 October 2016 07:24 (UTC +04:00)

Baku - APA. A court arrested Gültan KÄ±ÅŸanak and FÄ±rat AnlÄ±, the co-mayors of the Turkish southeastern province of DiyarbakÄ±r late on Oct. 30, Hurriyet reported.

KÄ±ÅŸanak and AnlÄ± were detained late on Oct. 25 on “terrorism” charges.

KÄ±ÅŸanak is a former member of parliament from the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) ranks before her election as mayor in DiyarbakÄ±r.

The duo were taken into custody as part of an investigation into their alleged links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), the DiyarbakÄ±r Prosecutor’s Office said in a written statement.

The two are accused of making speeches in support of the PKK, allowing PKK militants use municipal resources, inciting violent protests, and of attending illegal meetings and rallies, the prosecutor’s statement said.

The HDP's sister Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) former lawmaker Ayla Akat Ata was also arrested.

Main opposition leader Kemal KÄ±lÄ±çdaroÄŸlu criticized on Oct. 27 the detention of the co-mayors, asking why KÄ±ÅŸanak and AnlÄ± were not detained previously “if they supported terror.”