Turkey dismisses two opposition mayors over ‘terrorism’

Two opposition mayors in eastern Turkey have been removed from office after being convicted of “terrorism” for belonging to a banned Kurdish militant group, the interior minister said on Friday.

The mayors of Tunceli and Ovacik were each sentenced to six years and three months in prison this week for membership of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has waged a guerilla insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984.

Both were replaced by state-appointed administrators, the interior ministry said in a statement, in the latest ousting of politicians associated with Turkey’s Kurdish minority.

Tunceli’s deposed mayor Cevdet Konak, is a member of Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish party.

Meanwhile Ovacik’s deposed mayor Mustafa Sarigul is affiliated with the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).