Pro-PKK municipality suspends services to protest appointment of administrators

Multiple municipalities in the Van province have suspended garbage collecting services to protest a recent decision by the Interior Ministry to appoint trustees to municipalities across the province for allegedly providing support to the PKK terrorist organization.

Led by the pro-PKK Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), the Van municipality suspended its services after trustees were appointed to oversee four municipalities affected by the Interior Ministry's decision; namely, Erciş, İpekyolu, Edremit and Özalp, which are known for being PKK sympathizers.

To protest the decision, garbage collection services were suspended in Van, and images taken by locals show mountains of garbage in the city center and on every corner. The locals feel punished by the municipality.

Meanwhile, the Van Governorate issued a statement regarding the situation in the province, saying that the municipality's decision to punish the people is "illegal."

Previously, the residents of Hani in the district of Gürbüz in southeastern Diyarbakır said the municipality, which is governed by the Peoples' Democratic Party's (HDP) regional affiliate the Democratic Regions' Party (DBP), cut off water and did not collect garbage after the Nov. 1 elections last year. "Everywhere is covered in garbage. They have this attitude because they failed to get what they wanted in the elections," one local tradesman said, adding that the municipality was depriving people of routine services.

Another resident said that even though he petitioned five times asking that the municipality collect animal manure and garbage from in front of his home, he did not receive any definitive response.