Istanbul’s district mayor arrested on charge of PKK membership

ISTANBUL, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) — Turkish authorities arrested Ahmet Ozer, mayor of Istanbul’s Esenyurt district, on Thursday over his suspected links to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), local media reported.
Searches were conducted on Wednesday at Ozer’s home, vehicle, and the municipal building, after which the district mayor was arrested on the charge of being a member of the PKK “terrorist” organization, according to the Hurriyet Daily.
Following his arrest, Istanbul Deputy Governor Can Aksoy was appointed as trustee of Ozer’s place.
Ozer was elected mayor of Esenyurt — one of Istanbul’s most crowded districts on the European side — by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in the March 31 elections.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and CHP Chairman Ozgur Ozel have called on CHP mayors across Türkiye, parliament members, and citizens to gather in Esenyurt for a rally to defend Ozer, who denies the terrorism-related charges he is accused of.
Police forces have implemented extensive security measures and cordoned off the municipality building.
Ozer’s arrest came in the wake of an attack on Turkish defense and aviation company TUSAS that killed five people in Ankara last week. The PKK has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union, has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than three decades. ■