The co-mayor of Dersim, Birsen Orhan, who was arrested on Saturday, has been released. The DEM politician was arrested by the police after the Turkish Interior Ministry appointed a trustee on 22 November and was initially placed under house arrest by the court. On 30 November, she was arrested again in her home for violating the assembly law and resisting the police.

Birsen Orhan's lawyer had appealed the decision. The court in Dersim upheld the appeal on Tuesday and ordered the release of the Kurdish politician, while issuing a ban on traveling abroad.

Three mayors in prison

Birsen Orhan and Cevdet Konak were elected co-mayors of the provincial capital Dersim for the DEM party in March 2024. Since the Turkish state does not recognize the dual leadership system practiced by the DEM party, only Konak was sworn in as mayor; Orhan is officially considered a city councilor.

Currently, three of the mayors elected in the last local elections in Turkey are in prison due to alleged links to the PKK. Two of the arrested politicians belong to the DEM party, one to the CHP.