A Turkish court on Tuesday sentenced Ahmad Zeydan, the Kurdish mayor of the southeastern Van province, to three years and nine months in prison on terror-related charges, sparking protests and condemnation from his supporters and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM).

The Diyarbakir (Amed) court convicted Zeydan of “aiding the terrorist organization and engaging in its propaganda through the media,” according to Turkish opposition media outlet ANKA.

Supporters of the Van mayor took to the streets on Tuesday to denounce the ruling, which the DEM Party criticized as “unlawful.” Court decisions of this nature are widely regarded as precursors to the dismissal of elected Kurdish mayors and their replacement with government-appointed trustees.

Political and Legal Controversy Surrounding Zeydan

Zeydan’s tenure as mayor has been fraught with legal battles since his victory in Turkey’s local elections last March. Securing over 55 percent of the vote for the DEM Party, he defeated the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) candidate. However, his election was swiftly contested by a local court following a last-minute request from the justice ministry, leading to the temporary transfer of the Van municipality to the AKP runner-up. The decision triggered widespread protests in the Kurdish-majority southeast and drew criticism from both AKP allies and opposition parties.

The DEM Party later appealed to the election board, which overturned the court’s ruling and reinstated Zeydan as mayor. Despite this, legal actions against him have continued.

Pattern of Crackdowns on Kurdish Mayors

Zeydan has previously faced legal persecution, having been jailed from November 2016 to January 2023 on similar terror-related charges. His rights were reinstated in 2022, allowing him to run for office in the recent elections.

Since 2016, Turkish authorities have dismissed and prosecuted dozens of Kurdish mayors for alleged ties to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara considers a terrorist organization. In many cases, removed mayors have been replaced with state-appointed trustees.

Despite significant electoral gains in predominantly Kurdish regions in the March elections, DEM Party-affiliated mayors have frequently faced dismissal and legal action, raising concerns about political suppression in Turkey’s southeastern provinces.