Batman Municipality has been cordoned off with police barriers and armored vehicles in the morning. Police in the meantime carried out home raids across the city, and 12 people, including Batman Municipality co-mayors Songül Korkmaz and Mehmet Demir, and city council members were detained. A trustee was appointed to replace the dismissed HDP mayors.
Nevzat Memcik, the deputy mayor, stated that many services, including the disinfection, were disrupted and asked to enter the city hall.
While the police prevented Memcik and councilors from entering, the deputy mayor reminded them that "people's health is at risk in these days of the epidemic."
People in front of the municipality also protested against the seizure of their local administration.
HDP Batman MP Ayşe Acar Başaran and party members came to the city hall. Başaran said: "We think about public health more than you do. AKP threatens health. AKP has become a public health problem. AKP is the enemy of Kurds. If something happens to us, the AKP will be held responsible."
The police attacked the group of citizens and politicians and detained a number of people who wore protective masks.
Some people were battered during the attack and 16 people, including HDP Provincial co-chairs Ömer Kulplu and Fatma Ablay, were taken into custody.