The AKP government started to replace HDP’s mayors on March 23, 2020. As part of its policies to crackdown the HDP, the government appointed trustees to the municipalities of Egil, Lice, Ergani and Silvan in Amed (Diyarbakır) city.

HDP co-mayors who were replaced by government-appointed mayors made a statement at a party office in Bağlar district on Thursday.

HDP Amed Provincial Co-Chair Zeyyat Ceylan and some co-mayors and council members attended the press briefing.

Lice’s former co-mayor, Tarık Mercan, who was dismissed by the government, stated that the will of the Kurdish people was disregarded by the government-appointed trustees.

Mercan designated the AKP-MHP government as "organized misdeed and lawlessness".

“The AKP-MHP alliance, an enemy of democracy, is trying to oppress our people by institutionalizing fascism. As the elected representatives of the people, we will continue our struggle against unlawfulness as we did in the past,” Mercan said.

“Since the very beginning, the trustees have adopted a policy of denial and annihilation by targeting women's gains, the Kurds and everything related to the Kurdish identity. Municipal resources are granted to pro-government circles instead of being used for the benefit of the people. Corruption has been introduced by the trustees,” Mercan added.

“We were not reinstated since the government rejected it. No one can easily carry out their duty and cannot be reinstated until the current government leaves. We do not recognize and will never recognize the decisions made by the trustees,” Ergani’s former Co-Mayor Ahmet Kaya said.