Hundreds of special operations police surrounded the Amed Metropolitan Municipality building before the arrival of newly appointed trustee Cumali Atilla who will replace the jailed Co-mayors Gültan Kışanak and Fırat Anlı.
Hundreds of special operations police have surrounded the Amed Metropolitan Municipality building before the arrival of newly appointed trustee Cumali Atilla that will replace the Co-mayors Gültan Kışanak and Fırat Anlı whom the state has taken hostage on alleged terrorism charges.
The trustee Cumali Atilla, district governor in Ankara's Etimesgut district, has taken office in Amed Metropolitan Municipality Wednesday morning.
Police forces have evacuated all the personnel and municipal council members from the building on the grounds that a search will be conducted inside. The trustee entered the building and took the office of the jailed Co-mayors half an hour later.
Members of the municipal council that had started a sit-in in the Municipality Council Hall after the detainment of Co-mayors 8 days ago, with the slogan “Do not touch my will”, were forcibly taken out before the arrival of the trustee. The Council members protested the police attack, chanting “Mayors Gültan and Fırat are our honour” and “Repressions cannot intimidate us”. The municipality employees continued waiting and protesting outside the building.
HDP MP Feleknas Uca told that all the employees, municipal council members and HDP deputies were forcibly taken out of the municipality building starting from 07:00 this morning, upon which the trustee came and took office amid protests half an hour later. Uca remarked that hundreds of police surrounded the municipality building which was kind of turned into a military outpost.
As police forces conducted a detailed search inside till the beginning of the working hour, the employees excluding those from the Office of the Private Secretary were later allowed into the building after a body search and ID check.
In the meantime, it has been learned that the municipality has yet not received an official notification regarding the appointment of a trustee.
On the other hand, the streets surrounding the municipality building are also under the blockade of riot police and armored vehicles.
Reports suggest that the trustee will have a meeting with the municipality personnel amid the ongoing activity of police forces outside.
