Interior Ministry launches probe against DEM Party co-chair after controversial remarks

The Turkish Interior Ministry on Thursday launched an investigation against Kurdish-oriented Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) co-chair Tuncer Bakirhan following his controversial remarks.

“A legal investigation has been launched against DEM Party Siirt MP Tuncer Bakirhan for his speech on November 4, 2024, and DEM Party Mardin Provincial Chair Mehmet Mihdi Tunc for his statement on the same date regarding the appointment of trustees to the municipalities of Mardin, Batman and Halfeti,” said the ministry.

Mardin, Batman ve Halfeti Belediye Başkanlıklarına Başkan vekilleri görevlendirilmesiyle ilgili olarak;

Siirt Milletvekili ve DEM Partisi Eş Genel Başkanı Tuncer BAKIRHAN’ın 04.11.2024 tarihinde yapmış olduğu konuşma ve

DEM Parti Mardin İl Başkanı Mehmet Mihdi TUNÇ’un… pic.twitter.com/vXyC39CNK5

— T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı (@TC_icisleri) November 7, 2024

What did Bakirhan and Tunc say?

In his speech in Mardin on Nov. 4, following the appointment of trustees, Tuncer Bakirhan said, “Neither their trustees nor their policies of oppression nor their lies nor their tricks will bring us to our knees. As Seyit Riza said, ‘You cannot bring us to our knees with your lies and deceit’. And so do we,” he had said.

Mehmet Mihdi Tunc recently said that “Kurdish people would set up their courts to trial trustees” that are appointed by the state.

Trustees were appointed to DEM Party-led Mardin, Batman and Halfeti municipalities.