Ayhan Bilgen: The decision of the mayor of Kars arrested to resign was a surprise for HDP

HDP’s Kars Mayor Ayhan Bilgen, who was detained due to the Kobani incidents of October 6-8, 2014, made a statement through his lawyers that “I will resign as mayor if no administrator until my detention period ends. ”

This decision by Bilgen came as a surprise to his party, HDP. It was known that Bilgen, who asked the party administrators through his lawyers to ask the reason for the decision and sent a message to withdraw from his decision, gave the answer that he was “determined to resign.”

HDP co-chairs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar are expected to make a statement on Bilgen’s decision on Thursday.

Ayhan Bilgen, who was arrested on Friday 25 September as part of the investigation launched by the Ankara Prosecutor General’s Office into the “Kobani protests”, announced that he had resigned while in detention.

The Ankara Attorney General’s Office issued an arrest warrant for 82 people in the operation launched in 7 Ankara-based provinces in connection with the “Kobani protests” in 2014. These include former HDP deputies, members of the Central Executive Board and mayors.

Bilgen announced that he decided to resign from the mayor’s office in a statement he made to the public through his lawyers on his social media account.

Bilgen said: “I would not allow a city to be manipulated with arbitrary detentions”, and against the appointment of an administrator for the municipality, he also suggested that “5 parties commit themselves and form a new administration” in the municipal council. Bilgen’s statement is as follows:

“I am past the age to play democracy. I do not have a means to play in the conditions of Turkey. With arbitrary arrest I am not allowed to play with the will of a city. Whether arrest, release or not, regardless of detention. Until my trustee is appointed, I will resign from my job as mayor.

“Kars is competent to govern himself. In a parliament that has been able to make decisions unanimously for 1.5 years, 5 parties can compromise and form a new administration. Now that everyone wants to rule the city in elections, no one should escape your responsibility.

“This is not the abandonment of a post, but the passing of the test of democracy with a joint administration, as we said in the election campaign. If I am arrested, it is no less important to write my third book, if I am not arrested, to contribute to cooperative work, than the mayor. “

The HDP administration learned of Bilgen’s resignation through his social media account as the public. In the party, this attitude was also seen as a reaction to the arrests and a measure to avoid the appointment of a trustee.

Party executives, while trying to learn the reason for Bilgen’s decision to resign through their lawyers, sent a message to renounce his resignation.

According to information obtained from party sources, Bilgen sent the message that he will not give up his decision to resign and that he will give his resignation after the end of his detention period.

Party sources shared that HDP co-chairs Pervin Buldan and Mithat Sancar will make a statement at Turkey’s Grand National Assembly on Thursday on the arrests and Bilgen’s decision to resign.

Ayhan Bilgen was arrested on January 31, 2017 within the scope of the first investigation initiated due to the Kobani protests on October 6-8, but was released when it was understood that he did not attend the HDP FMC Meeting under investigation.

The Constitutional Court also issued a rape decision on Bilgen.

Ayhan Bilgen, who served as the HDP’s deputy group vice president before being elected mayor, decided to resign due to his party’s attitude towards the “Roboski massacre” case, which caused a crisis within the party.

On December 28, 2011, the families of the victims lost their lives as a result of the bombing by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) near the village of Ortasu in the Uludere district of Şırnak, in Kurdish and near the village of Roboski. . She took her to the Court of Rights.

Regarding the case, which the ECHR rejected on the grounds that “the missing documents are delayed”, Ayhan Bilgen announced that he had decided to resign, criticizing his party for not fulfilling the promises it made to the families to complete the documents.

At the initiative of the party administration, Bilgen continued to work for a time and was elected mayor of Kars in 2019.