The Kurdish Democratic Council (KDC-F) issued a statement to alert the international community of the seriousness of the current political situation in Turkey, following the illegal dismissal of Van’s co-mayor Abdullah Zeydan, democratically elected during the municipal elections of 31 March 2024 in Van.

The statement said: "We condemn in the strongest terms this political coup orchestrated by Erdoğan's AKP, which deprived Mr. Zeydan of his legitimate functions by declaring him ineligible in an unjust and undemocratic maneuver. This coup is part of a strategy already observed during the two previous mandates, where the AKP systematically seized control of Kurdish municipalities, replacing elected officials with administrators appointed by the state."

The statement continued: "We would like to emphasize the danger that this method, if it remains unpunished, will be applied again to all Kurdish municipalities. If the AKP succeeds in imposing its will through this political coup, it will not hesitate to use the same tactic to usurp other electoral mandates, thus flouting the will of the Kurdish people freely expressed at the ballot box."

The KDC-F launched "an urgent appeal to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, French municipalities, political parties, civil society organizations and all elected officials committed to democracy. We call on them to join us in denouncing these actions and supporting the Kurdish people in their fight for democracy."

The statement also demanded that "the Turkish government immediately reverse this arbitrary decision and reinstate Mr. Abdullah Zeydan as co-mayor of Wan. It is imperative to defend the integrity of democratic processes and ensure that the rights of citizens to choose their representatives are respected.

Democratic legitimacy must not be trampled by authoritarian political interests. Respect for the popular will is the fundamental pillar of any democratic society. We will remain vigilant and continue to fight for the protection of the democratic rights of the Kurdish people and against any form of political manipulation."