ANKARA (AP) – Turkish media reports say police have used water cannons to disperse crowds protesting a government decision to oust three elected mayors in Turkey’s mainly Kurdish-populated southeast and replace them with government appointees.
The private DHA news agency said at least 30 people were detained in the city of Diyarbakir Wednesday, on the third day of protests over the mayors’ dismissal.
The government removed the mayors of Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van from office over alleged links to militants of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, citing ongoing investigations or trials against them.
The mayors, members of the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party, or HDP, were elected into office in local elections in March.
The Interior Ministry announced in a statement on Monday that Adnan Selcuk Mizrakli, Ahmet Turk and Bedia Ozgokce Ertan -- respectively the mayors of the southeastern provinces of Diyarbakir and Mardin as well as the eastern Van province -- had been suspended.
It added that the mayors – all members of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) which Turkey's government has accused of having links to the PKK terror group – had active cases against them in which they were accused of crimes such as establishing or spreading propaganda for the militant group, or just being a member.
The charges included attending funerals and visiting graves of "terrorists", renaming streets and parks after imprisoned PKK members, and offering jobs to the Kurdish militants' relatives.
The interior ministry said the mayors' roles would be taken over by their provincial governors, who are appointed by the central government.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly claimed the HDP has ties to the PKK.
The HDP denies any affiliation to the Kurdish militant group, but has tried to broker peace talks between the militants and Ankara government.
The PKK is considered a terror organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union.