Wan, — Bekir Kaya the mayor of Wan city who was arrested on 7 June was dismissed from duty by the Ministry of Justice on the charge of “membership of an armed organization”, referring to Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK).
Along with Bekir Kaya thirteen others were taken into custody amid house raids carried out in Wan city on 7 June. Among them are BDP former provincial chair and Asrin Law Office lawyer Cuneyt Caniş, Başkale Mayor Ihsan Guler, BDP Muradiye district chair Mehmet Şirin Yildiz, Ozalp Mayor Murat Durmaz, BDP Başkale former district chair and DTK member Derviş Polat, Edremit mayor Abdulkerim Sayan, BDP Çaldiran district chair Metin Adugit, BDP Erciş former district chair Veli Avci and BDP Van accountant Halis Çakir were remanded in custody and sent to prison.
As BDP municipalities have been targeted by the AKP government since the local elections in 2009 when Kurds achieved a great success, 35 mayors, six deputies and over 190 Kurdish elected representatives have been put in jail up until today.