Sofya Alağaş, co-mayor of Sêrt (Siirt) Municipality, who was on trial for "being a terrorist organisation member" when she was a journalist, was sentenced to 6 years and 3 months in prison by Diyarbakır 5th Assize Court on 28 January. Following the verdict, Sêrt Co-Mayors Sofya Alağaş and Mehmet Kaysi were dismissed by the Ministry of Interior on 29 January and trustees were appointed in their place. The Ministry of Interior described the appointment of a trustee as a "temporary assignment".

 

Although the Ministry described it as a "temporary appointment", none of the co-mayors who were dismissed and replaced by trustees have been reinstated so far, even if they were acquitted in the trial. One of those who have not been reinstated is Berivan Helen Işık, co-mayor of Sêrt Municipality, who was appointed a trustee for the third time.

 

Tuncer Bakırhan, the current Co-Mayor of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party, was arrested on 16 November 2016 while serving as Co-Mayor of Sêrt Municipality, and a trustee was appointed in his place. After Bakırhan, Berivan Helen Işık and Peymandara Turhan from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party were elected as co-mayors with 48.36 percent of the vote in the 31 March 2019 elections. The co-mayors, who had been in office for more than a year, were dismissed on 15 May 2020 due to the investigations and lawsuits filed against them "on the grounds of their work during the election process". Siirt Governor Ali Fuat Atik was appointed as a trustee in their place.

 

Five years after the appointment of the trustee, which the Ministry of Interior described as a "temporary assignment", Berivan Helen Işık, like the other dismissed co-mayors, has neither finalised her lawsuits nor been reinstated. Berivan Helen Işık, who was held under house arrest for 2 years and whose trial continues at Siirt 2nd High Criminal Court, stated that the suspension decision against her was not extended until the election when her term of office expires.

 

 

Berivan Helen Işık stated that the suspension decisions were carried out with the plan to continue until the elections, thus the will of the people was put under the command of one person. Pointing out that similar policies continue today, Berivan Helen Işık said that the government has been in criminal practice for 3 terms.  

 

Stressed that one of the purposes of the appointment of trustees was intolerance towards women's will Berivan Helen Işık said, "When we look at the practices of the trustees when they took office, we can see their misogynist policies. Appointing men to the women's directorate and closing women's institutions are indicators of these. They aim to create a masculine system. They do not accept the hostile approach to co-chairmanship in any way. Because of this, they are constantly under attack. They appoint trustees especially in places where women's struggle is rising. In fact, they want to show that they are strong by appointing trustees. However, this is an indication that they have lost. It is a sign of their weakness. No one can stand against the will of women."

 

Berivan Helen Işık stated that the trustees caused great damage to the city and added, "During Tuncer Bakırhan's term, the municipality had money in its coffers. There were no debts. A trustee was appointed. When we won the municipality, 115 million TL debt was left. While we were paying these debts, a trustee was appointed. Now there is a debt of 456 million 853 thousand 781.39 TL. The damage they have caused is not only material. There is a multi-faceted attack. It is an attack on Kurdish language, culture, identity, nature, and women's struggle for self-existence. It is an attack against the gains of women. It is usurpation, theft, and looting for cronies."

 

MA / Heval Önkol- Fethi Balaman