The Supreme Electoral Council in Turkey recognized the victory of pro-Kurdish mayoral candidate Abdullah Zeydan in the eastern city of Van on Wednesday. His victory had previously been annulled by regional election authorities, even though Zeydan had received at least 55 percent of the vote in last weekend’s local elections.
After his win, regional authorities ruled that Zeydan should not have participated in the elections due to a conviction in 2016. He was then detained for criticizing the Turkish government and its military campaign against Kurdish militants. The mayoralty was awarded to the number two, a candidate from the AKP party of current President Erdogan. This candidate had received only 27 percent of the votes.
Zeydan’s ousting led to major protests in Van and other cities in the pro-Kurdish east. Dozens of people were arrested after clashes with police. There were also demonstrations in Istanbul, where opposition leader Ekrem Imamoglu was re-elected as mayor.
Zeydan’s DEM party has long been accused of ties to the militant PKK. In the past, several mayors of the party were removed from office by Erdogan and replaced by pro-government candidates. In last weekend’s elections, which turned out dramatically for Erdogan’s AKP, the DEM won in several cities in southeastern Turkey.
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