Ahmet Türk

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Ahmet Türk
Mayor of Mardin
Assumed office
2 April 2024
Preceded byMustafa Yaman
In office
31 March 2019 – 19 August 2019
Preceded byMustafa Yaman
Succeeded byMustafa Yaman
In office
30 March 2014 – 16 November 2016
Preceded bySüleyman Yıldız
Succeeded byMustafa Yaman
Leader of the Democratic Society Party
In office
17 August 2005 – 3 July 2007
Serving withAysel Tuğluk (until 25 June 2006)
Preceded byParty established
Succeeded byNurettin Demirtaş
Member of the Grand National Assembly
In office
22 July 2007 – 30 March 2014
ConstituencyMardin (2007, 2011)
In office
29 November 1987 – 24 December 1995
ConstituencyMardin (1987, 1991)
In office
14 October 1973 – 12 September 1980
ConstituencyMardin (1973, 1977)
Personal details
Born (1942-07-02) 2 July 1942 (age 81)
Derik, Mardin Province, Turkey
Political partyPeoples' Democratic Party (HDP)
Other political
affiliations		Democratic Society Party (DTP)
OccupationPolitician

Ahmet Türk (born 2 July 1942, in Derik, Turkey) is a Turkish politician of Kurdish origin from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). He has been a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey for several terms and was elected twice as the Mayor of Mardin. He was born into a family of Kurdish clan and tribal chiefs in southeastern Turkey.[1]

Political career

He was elected MP for the

Bar Elias, Lebanon to attend jointly with Jamal Talabani and Kemal Burkay a press conference where a unilateral ceasefire was announced by Abdullah Öcalan.[9] In July 1993 the HEP was prohibited by the Constitutional Court, alleging the party was pursuing aims contrary to the indivisibility of Turkey.[10] He then joined the Democracy Party (DEP) a successor party of the HEP established in May 1993.[11] The DEP was supportive of the PKK and elected Hatip Dicle as its party chair, who reasoned that the PKK was not a terrorist party and should be classified a political party.[11] In fact, several of the parties leaders had attended congresses attended also by PKK members ahead of the parties foundation congress.[11] Türks and five other DEP deputies parliamentary immunities were lifted in March 1994[12] and he was sent to prison for terror charges. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison.[13] He appealed and was released on the 27 October 1995.[14] Türk was the chairman of the former pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) in Turkey and was a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. On 26 February 2007, as the acting president of the DTP, he was sentenced together with vice-president Sebahat Tuncel to 18 months imprisonment for having used the Kurdish language in a leaflet of the DTP women wing, for the International Women`s Day on 8 March. Then on 6 March 2007 he was convicted to 6 months imprisonment for calling Abdullah Öcalan "Mister" (Sayin), but the sentence was suspended.[15] He was again elected MP to the Turkish Parliament for Mardin on the 22 July 2007.[16] However on 11 December 2009, the Constitutional Court of Turkey voted to ban the DTP, accusing it of connection with the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).[17] Türk was expelled from the Grand National Assembly and he and 36 other party members were banned from joining any political party for five years.[18] Türk appealed to the European Court of Human Rights and in 2016 Turkey was condemned to pay Türk 30`000€.[19] In April 2010 he was attacked by İsmail Çelik who beat him and broke his nose. Çelik first received a prison sentence of 11 months and 20 days, which was later changed into a fine of 7000 Turkish Liras (about $300 USD).[20]

Mayor of Mardin

In the

Peoples Protection Units (YPG) in Mazidagi in 2015, but in February 2020, a court acquitted him from the charges.[27]

Further legal prosecution

On the 17 March 2021, the state prosecutor

closure of the HDP due to the parties alleged organizational unity with the PKK.[28]

Political views

He was also involved in the

peace process between the PKK and Turkey and met Abdullah Öcalan together with Ayla Akat Ata in 2013.[29] He has been described as "the most peaceful, most inclusive, most anti-violence, most moderate and wisest figure of the Kurdish political movement, and the one most likely to compromise."[1] He has supported the celebration of Newroz, the Kurdish new year[30] and in his aim to reconcile with the victims of the Genocide during World War I he has apologized to the Assyrian, Yazidi and Armenian population for the role of the Kurds in the genocide.[31]

References

  1. ^ a b Candar, Cengiz (22 November 2016). "The final nail in the coffin of peace process in Turkey". Al-Monitor.
  2. ^ "Mardin SEÇİM SONUÇLARI". secim.haberler.com. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  3. ^ "Mardin SEÇİM SONUÇLARI". secim.haberler.com. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  4. ^
    ISBN 9780739184035
    .
  5. ^ "Ahmet Türk arrested". Bianet. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  6. ^ "Mardin - 1987 Secim Sonuçları". www.secim-sonuclari.com. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  7. ISBN 9780295800820
    .
  8. ^ "Mardin - 1991 Secim sonuçları". www.secim-sonuclari.com. Archived from the original on 23 July 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  9. ISBN 9780415366878
    .
  10. ^ Güney, Aylin. "The People's Democracy Party" (PDF). Political Parties in Turkey: 124–125. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2015.
  11. ^
    ISBN 978-0-295-99050-7
    .
  12. ^ Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (1994). Criminalizing Parliamentary Speech in Turkey. The Commission. p. 28.
  13. ISBN 9781136587986
    .
  14. ^ "Human rights of parliamentarians". archive.ipu.org. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  15. ^ Turkey : Human Rights Concerns in the Lead up to July Parliamentary Elections. Human Rights Watch. p. 13.
  16. ^ a b "Ahmet Türk Released". Bianet. 3 February 2017.
  17. ^ "Turkish court bans pro-Kurd party". BBC News. 11 December 2009. Archived from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2010.
  18. ^ Hacaoglu, Selcan (11 December 2009). "Turkey bans pro-Kurdish party over ties to rebels". Retrieved 11 December 2009.
  19. ^ Kurdistan24. "Turkey condemned for banning Kurdish party". Kurdistan24. Retrieved 24 September 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ "Turkish Intellectuals Who Have Recognized The Armenian Genocide: Ahmet Türk". Armenian News By MassisPost. 3 March 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  21. ^ "Police Attack on Politicians Trying to Enter Nusaybin". Bianet. 23 November 2022.
  22. ^ "Court arrests former Mardin mayor Ahmet Türk". Hurriyet Daily News. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  23. ^ "Ahmet Türk Arrested". Bianet. 25 November 2016.
  24. ^ "Court arrests former Mardin mayor Ahmet Türk - Türkiye News". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
  25. ^ "Drei prokurdische Bürgermeister abgesetzt | DW | 19.08.2019". DW.COM (in German). Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  26. ^ "Corruption in Mardin municipality after government takeover: 13 people remanded in custody". Bianet - Bagimsiz Iletisim Agi. Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  27. ^ "Turkish court acquits dismissed HDP mayor Ahmet Türk". Gazete Duvar. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  28. ^ "Turkish prosecutor seeks political ban on 687 pro-Kurdish politicians". www.duvarenglish.com (in Turkish). 18 March 2021. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
  29. ^ "Ahmet Türk Arrested". Bianet. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2020.
  30. ^ "24 hurt as Turkish police clash with Kurds at New Kurdish Year celebrations". ekurd.net. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  31. ^ "Kurdish Leader Apologizes for Role in Genocide". Asbarez.com. 4 February 2013. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
Political offices
Preceded by
Süleyman Yıldız
 Mayor of Mardin
30 March 2014 – 16 November 2016 		Succeeded by
Mustafa Yaman
Preceded by
Mustafa Yaman
 Mayor of Mardin
31 March 2019 – 19 August 2019 		Succeeded by
Mustafa Yaman
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