Mehmet Siddik Akis, a pro-Kurdish mayor, was sentenced to 19 and a half years in prison on charges of "terrorism" by a Turkish court on Wednesday, his lawyer announced. The ruling, decried as a "coup d'etat" by Akis's party, the Democratic Regions Party (DEM), sparked protests and clashes in Turkey's parliament.

Akis, who had been serving as the mayor of Hakkari, a town in southeastern Turkey, was removed from office and detained just two days prior to his sentencing. He denounced the proceedings as a "political trial," vowing to continue his fight for justice. "I'm 53 years old, I've been fighting for all these years and I'll continue to fight," Akis declared.

Tulay Hatimogullari, co-president of the DEM, condemned the court's decision, asserting that it amounted to a "coup d'etat in broad daylight." She accused the ruling AKP party of declaring war on the Kurdish population through judicial means. The Turkish authorities have long alleged that the DEM has ties to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a claim both Akis and his party deny.

Following the conviction, unrest erupted in Hakkari, with social media footage showing scuffles between demonstrators and law enforcement. In Ankara, parliamentary sessions descended into chaos as lawmakers from Akis's party staged protests, resulting in brawls.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan defended the court's ruling, stating, "The courts have decided according to the law. There is no point attacking left and right with placards in your hand." Erdogan emphasized that the law would be enforced against anyone involved in illegal activities, referring to Hakkari as the first step in this direction.

In response to growing tensions, the governor of Hakkari banned all demonstrations until June 12, a measure mirrored by the governor of Bingol, who issued a similar ban on Wednesday. Despite these restrictions, Hatimogullari announced that the DEM would persist in their protests, condemning the deployment of soldiers to suppress dissent.

Akis's imprisonment marks the first mayoral dismissal since the March local elections, where the DEM gained control of several local authorities in Turkey's Kurdish-majority southeast. This incident has heightened scrutiny of the Turkish government's approach to the pro-Kurdish political movement.

Tuesday's parliamentary clashes underscored the deepening political divide, with lawmakers from the opposition social democratic CHP expressing solidarity with Akis. The CHP has sent a delegation to Hakkari to support the embattled mayor. In a statement, the CHP criticized the government's actions, highlighting the importance of democratic processes.

In the national parliament, the DEM holds 57 out of 594 seats, making it the third-largest party after the AKP and the CHP. The government's crackdown on the DEM has been ongoing, with around 50 elected mayors dismissed in 2019 and replaced by government-appointed administrators. The party's former president, Selahattin Demirtas, has been imprisoned since 2016 and was recently sentenced to 42 years on charges including undermining state unity.

As tensions continue to rise, the situation in Turkey remains fraught with political and social unrest, with the fate of pro-Kurdish political leaders hanging in the balance.