Editing Van, Turkey (section)

== Politics ==
[[File:2019 Turkish local elections BDP & HDP.png|thumb|HDP won in a landslide in Van in the 2019 municipal elections.]]
In the [[2019 Turkish local elections|2019 municipal elections]], [[Bedia Özgökçe Ertan]] of the [[Peoples' Democratic Party (Turkey)|HDP]] party was elected mayor of Van. In August 2019 she was dismissed and subsequently sentenced to 30 years imprisonment accused of supporting terrorism as part of a government crackdown against politicians of the [[Kurds|Kurdish]] [[Peoples' Democratic Party (Turkey)|HDP]] party; the Turkish state appointed an unelected state-trustee, [[Mehmet Emin Bilmez]], in her place. Many other Kurdish mayors in other Kurdish cities across the region also suffered a similar fate.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Erdogan vows re-seizure of Kurdish municipalities should HDP win local elections|url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/story/17616-Erdogan-vows-re-seizure-of-Kurdish-municipalities-should-HDP-win-local-elections|access-date=2021-04-02|website=www.kurdistan24.net|date=7 October 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-02-07|title=Turkey: Kurdish Mayors' Removal Violates Voters' Rights|url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/02/07/turkey-kurdish-mayors-removal-violates-voters-rights|access-date=2021-04-02|website=Human Rights Watch|language=en}}</ref> Protests against the decision arose which were suppressed by the Turkish police with the use of water cannons; some protestors were killed.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Turkey : Police and militias killing of Kurdish protesters must be investigated and prosecuted|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2210-7975_hrd-0035-2014132|access-date=2021-04-02|website=Human Rights Documents online|doi=10.1163/2210-7975_hrd-0035-2014132}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Three pro-Kurdish mayors replaced in southeastern Turkey|url=http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/three-pro-kurdish-mayors-replaced-southeastern-turkey|access-date=2021-04-02|website=Middle East Eye|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Gunes|first=Cengiz|date=2014-10-01|title=Kurdish Political Activism in Turkey: An Overview|url=https://mei.nus.edu.sg/index.php/web/publications_TMPL/volume-8-2-kurdish-political-activism-in-turkey-an-overview|journal=Singapore Middle East Papers|doi=10.23976/SMEP.2014008}}</ref>