BDP (Peace and Democracy Party) Iğdır Mayor Mehmet Nuri Güneş has been removed from office upon the ruling by department no. 9 of the council of state in the scope of the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union).

In a statement about the dismissal, deputy mayor Hüseyin Malk said that they have been informed about Güneş's discharge from office with a letter sent by Iğdır governor´s office on 3 October. Malk remarked that Güneş was detained as a result of the political operations on 21 January 2010 and sent to Erzurum Closed Prison on 24 January after he was elected mayor in local elections in 2009. He was sentenced to eight years and nine months in prison for allegedly being member of an armed organization and making a threat by using the organization's name.

Malk noted that the municipal council will hold an emergency meeting and elect the new mayor on 11 October.

Veysel Keser, mayor of Çelebibağı town in Van's Erciş district, who had been arrested on 26 November 2012, was also discharged from office on 24 January 2013.

Turkish Interior Minister Muammer Güler said in June -in his answer to a parliamentary question by CHP (Republican People's Party) deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu- that 35 mayors have been removed from office between 29 March 2009 and 4 March 2013. According to Güler, these include 5 AKP mayors, 5 CHP mayors, 21 BDP mayors, 1 BTP mayor, 1 MHP and 1 independent mayor.

According to Güler, 22 of these are currently in jail, including 1 AKP mayor, 3 CHP mayors, 17 BDP mayors and 1 MHP mayor.