Selçuk Mızraklı, the former mayor of the southeastern Diyarbakır city who was replaced with a government-appointed trustee on August 20, has spoken at a UN panel titled, "Judiciary Independence in Turkey."

 

The panel, organized by the Movement for Solidarity Between Peoples and Against Racism (MRAP), was held at the 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council.

 

Because of the international travel ban imposed on him over "terrorism-related" investigations, he participated in the panel via teleconference.

 

 

Here are Mızraklı's remarks:

 

"We would like to be on the job as being elected with 63 percent of the votes in the elections and be together with you , but we have to participate via the footage recording because of the international travel band and dismissals due to a government order that tries to make the single man regime dominate our country.

 

"We are elected by democratic methods. But we were dismissed by non-democratic dictatorial methods. We cannot use the powers given to us by the people. In fact, it is useful to briefly explain how we came to such a situation.

 

The AKP [Justice and Development Party], which came to power in 2002 with the promise of making democracy, law and universal human rights principles dominant in the country, has been trying to make a one-man rule, an authoritarian regime dominant especially since 2015. In order to do this, it disregards the law and puts pressure on the people living in the country by means of militarist methods.

 

"It is trying to suppress the opposition forces with detention, torture and arrests. As of 2016, they unlawfully appointed trustees to 95 Kurdish municipalities. Our municipalities had a debt of hundreds of thousands of dollars as a result of corruption in that period.

 

"In such a challenging period, we entered the elections on March 31, 2019. In an unfair system, we were prevented from working in the elections, our employees were arrested, many of our party managers were put in prison, but we were elected by high voting shares.

 

We won the municipal elections under these conditions. In a period of four months, we started to pay the debts and provide services that were not done in the period of trustees in the cities. They had begun to assimilate and ban Kurdish culture and language.

 

They launched attacks on women's rights. We have worked to prevent them in the four-month period. We worked for youth, for women, for children. In dictatorial systems, these services shake the government. Because of all this, we were unlawfully relieved of our duties. Governors were again appointed to the municipalities. Corruption will be there again, assimilation of culture and language will be done."

 

"This is where you have big tasks. As people who adopt the universal declaration of human rights and demand law, you should oppose these practices. I call on you; come and establish a committee, go to Diyarbakır, Mardin, Van and ask the people why they dismissed the elected and ask them if they are pleased with this decision. Come and tour Turkey, and look if are there rights, law and justice in this country.

 

"Yes, your duty is to defend the right, the law and justice. Therefore, as international institutions for democracy, you should take on responsibility for justice and the rule of law. Listen to the voice of your conscience. Turkey is heading towards an abyss, unfortunately. Even the most basic human rights are being violated.

 

"Anayasa'nın 127. According to Article 127 of the Constitution, this decision regarding the mayors who have been dismissed should be revised every two months. This corresponds to October 19. Therefore, I call on the UN Human Rights Council to establish a committee that will visit Turkey in October and observe this process.

 

"Now it's time to listen to your conscience and say stop to this. Local governments are the reflection of democracy in a country. I salute you once again with the hope that you will not remain silent on the bullying against us who want to run local governments, which are the reflection of democracy. I would like to thank you with the hope of coming together as soon as possible and with the belief that we will live together in a world where there is no war and where peace prevails."