Co-mayor of Van Metropolitan Municipality, Bedia Özgökçe Ertan, was removed from the office and replaced by a state-appointed trustee in mid-August alongside the co-mayors of Amed (Diyarbakır) and Mardin metropolitan municipalities; Selçuk Mızraklı and Ahmet Türk.

In the framework of the investigation against Ertan, the chief public prosecutor's office of Van has issued an arrest warrant against the co-mayor who had been democratically elected in the local elections of March 31.

The arrest warrant was issued in the scope of the cases in which Ertan stands trial without arrest, basing the order on hearsay that she tried to leave the country illegally.