Local elections in Turkey: What is happening in Van?

Описание: In the recent local #elections in #Turkey, the Kurdish city of #Van has been at the center of controversy. The pro-Kurdish Peoples' Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party candidate #AbdullahZeydan secured an impressive victory, winning 55.5% of the votes. However, despite his clear mandate from the people of Van, the provincial electoral board controversially awarded the metropolitan municipality mayorship to the ruling Justice and Development Party (#AKP) candidate, who only received 27.2% of the votes.

The justification for this was the justice ministry’s objection to Zeydan’s candidacy, which was made public after he had already won the elections. This led to widespread protests in Van, where police responded with excessive force. Reports from journalists on the ground have highlighted the use of tear gas and rubber bullets against the protesters. Dozens of demonstrators were injured, and many more were detained in the violent clashes.

In an attempt to quell the protests, the Governorate of Van banned demonstrations and publice events in the city. However, this did not deter the #Kurdish population from expressing their discontent with manipulation of the election results. Kurdish politicians gathered in Van to voice their reactions, while shopkeepers closed their shutters as an act of solidarity. Despite the heavy police presence, the protests in Van show no signs of subsiding, with reports of continued police attacks on demonstrators.

#VandaDarbeVar #turkeyelections #Wan #seçim