On 19 August, the Turkish government decided to remove the mayors of Diyarbakir, Mardin and Van, who were accused of collaborating with the Kurdish armed group PKK. The three politicians are all members of the People’s Democratic Party (HDP) and they were elected in the local elections last March. The Turkish Ministry of Interior announced that provincial governors appointed by the central government will rule over the three cities. The governmental statement reads that “some municipalities have been sought to become the logistical centres for ensuring militant source, financial support and equipment for supporting terrorist activities”. The HDP party published a declaration denouncing that their mayors “have been removed from duty with an Interior Ministry order based on lies and unlawful grounds”. They also “call for solidarity to all forces of democracy” and civil society organizations against the government’s attitude. Despite HDP has always denied any links with the PKK, hundreds of its members and around 40 of its mayors are currently in detention.