Since 2016, the AKP-MHP government has appointed trustees to municipalities, seizing the will of voters. This practice, initiated in 2016 and continued after the 2019 local elections, has persisted even following the 31 March 2024 local elections. Trustees were appointed to seven municipalities governed by the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) and two municipalities governed by the Republican People's Party (CHP).

‘A systematic approach to suppress local governance’

Speaking to ANF, DEM Party MP Adalet Kaya said: "This situation is not new. After suffering a major defeat in local elections, the AKP government systematically reinstated its practice of appointing trustees, and today continues this by appointing trustees to the Akdeniz Municipality. This is an effort to disregard the will of the Kurdish people and criminalize our municipalities. Unfortunately, our co-mayors, against whom there are no prior investigations, are quickly made subjects of judicial processes based on so-called 'secret witnesses,' which then serve as pretexts for trustee appointments. This is a blatant misuse of the judiciary by the government as a political tool, representing one of their many anti-legal practices. Neither the Kurdish people nor other communities in Turkey accept this situation."

‘Trustee appointments undermine the peace process’

Kaya noted that trustee appointments are part of broader anti-democratic policies and continued: 

"Previously, after trustees were appointed to Mardin, Batman, and Halfeti, our parliamentary committees and co-chairs worked together, leading opposition parties to propose a joint legislative initiative. The current proposal calls for amending the Emergency Law, which facilitates trustee appointments. This proposal bears the signatures of ten opposition parties. The next step must be to swiftly enact this legal change and transition to a constitutional and lawful framework. This situation is no longer acceptable.

In every place where trustees have been appointed, people have resisted and expressed their objections. The government is now well aware that it has lost societal consent and no longer holds a place in the public's heart. This was evident during the last local elections. After those elections, we had hoped that the AKP government would learn from the results. Sadly, the recurrence of trustee appointments shows that no lessons were learned. Furthermore, at a time when discussions of a democratic resolution to the Kurdish issue have gained momentum, when groundwork has been laid for lifting the isolation of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan and creating conditions for his freedom, the AKP-MHP government is once again undermining this process through the trustee practice."

‘Everyone must raise their voice against this blow to democracy’

Kaya stressed the importance of a united struggle against trustee policies, and said: "My call is not only to leftist and socialist groups but to all communities in Turkey: the appointment of trustees over the will of the Kurdish people should concern everyone. Today, we see trustees being appointed to municipalities like Beşiktaş and Esenyurt, which do not belong to our party. People must realize that this practice is becoming widespread. Trustee appointments are a direct blow to Turkish democracy and its constitution. We voice this everywhere we go. Everyone in Turkey must understand this. This is fundamentally a fight for democracy. Therefore, it is essential to organize and mobilize opposition to these actions. Everyone must raise their voice against this."