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Ahmet Türk, like two other pro-Kurdish mayors in southeastern Turkey, elected in the March 31st municipal elections, was removed from his post on the night of Sunday to Monday, August 19th. ILYAS AKENGIN / AFP

The AKP lost the municipal elections on March 31 after replaying the Istanbul mayoral election. But the opposition has taken another blow in the night from Sunday to Monday 19 August: three pro-Kurdish mayors elected in major cities in south-east Turkey have been removed from office, accused of activities " less than five months after their election.

Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van. These three important cities in south-eastern Turkey had elected their mayors - respectively Adnan Selcuk Mizrakli, Ahmet Türk and Bedia Özgökçe Ertan - by a large majority, between 54 and 63%. These elected HDP are now replaced by officials.

In a statement, the HDP denounced on Monday a " gesture clearly hostile to the political will of the Kurdish people ." He was supported by the mayor of Istanbul: Ekrem Imamoglu, elected from another opposition party the CHP criticized " a practice " that " can not be associated with democratic practices ". " Ignoring the will of the people, " he wrote on Twitter, " is unacceptable. "

It is impossible to associate with the removal of Diyarbakır, Van and Mardin Mayors with democratic practices. The three mayors who were elected by state-appointed trustees were elected by local elections. Ignoring the will of the people is unacceptable.

Ekrem İmamoğlu (International) (@imamoglu_int) August 19, 2019

→ Read also: Ekrem Imamoglu, anti-Erdogan elected mayor of Istanbul

To replace elected officials by officials chosen by the power, the practice is known: in the municipal elections of 2014 already, the pro-Kurdish party had won 102 municipalities; 95 then came under the direct control of the government ...

Each time, the same rhetoric: the elected officials are accused of belonging to the PKK. The organization is classified as terrorist by Turkey, the United States and Europe.

The repression has in any case intensified for three years. The leaders of the party are behind bars and in the presidential election of June 2018, his candidate had campaigned ... of his prison .