Hakkari Co-Mayor Viyan Tekçe was sentenced to 2 years and 3 months in prison for his protests against the appointment of a trustee to the municipality. Tekçe was charged with “violating the Law on Meetings and Demonstrations” and “publicly insulting a public officer because of his duty”. The slogans “Thief trustee” chanted during the protests were cited as evidence.
Reacting to the court decision, Tekçe stated that the charges against him were political and emphasized that his participation in the protest was his duty as an elected co-chair. “We exposed the trustee policies. It was my duty to defend the will of our people,” he said.
Tekçe also stated that the trustee practices targeted women’s gains: “These interventions are also being carried out against the women’s struggle.” The co-chair said that they will defend their duties through legitimate and democratic means and that they will not give up the struggle.
On June 3, a trustee was appointed to Hakkari Municipality, which DEM Party had won in the March 31, 2024 local elections, and co-mayor Mehmet Sıddık Akış was arrested. Viyan Tekçe was among those who protested this decision.
17.05.2025
SerhatNews