The Union of Southeastern Anatolia Region Municipalities (GABB) has released a statement regarding the detention of Gültan Kışanak and Fırat Anlı, Co-Mayors of the mainly Kurdish Amed city around 9 PM on 25th of October.

Kışanak was detained just after landing Diyarbakir Airport on her way back from Ankara while Anlı was detained in his house in the city center.Residential houses of both co-mayors were raided by the police at 9 PM, which ended 2,5 hours later.

Diyarbakir Metropolitan Municipality building remains under blockade by the police as a search started at 21:00 and none of municipal personnel, including the lawyers, were allowed to access the building.

GABB stated that Amed is the cultural capital of the Kurdish region in Turkey and Amed Metropolitan Municipality shall be considered as politically most significant and pioneering municipal institution in the region. Kışanak is also co-chair of Union of Southeastern Anatolia Region Municipalities (GABB) which is an official umbrella organization bringing 106 municipalities together.

GABB recalled that: “As of today, 22 elected co-mayors are in prison in Turkey while 33 of them were dismissed. Deputy governors were appointed as trustees by the central government on behalf of dismissed mayors on 11 September 2016, which has been the most destructive move in recent history of local democracy in Turkey.”

The Union of Southeastern Anatolia Region Municipalities urgently called on international community to act immediately in order to release statements and protest this anti-democratic and unjust policy waged by the Turkish government.