The trustee in the province of Mardin, Tuncay Akkoyun, has filed a lawsuit for damages against the deposed co-mayor Devrim Demir of the DEM Party. The background is a critical post by the Kurdish politician on social media, in which she described the sale of municipal land by the trustee as ‘looting’.
Demir, who held the office of co-mayor until the appointment of a trustee in November 2024, wrote on X: “The trustee in Mardin continues with the sell-off. With five officials, he is selling municipal property. We know this mentality well. Their only raison d’être is looting and theft.”
Akkoyun, who also serves as governor of the province, considers this a violation of his personal rights. In his complaint, he refers to an attempt to ‘discredit the public office entrusted to him in the eyes of society.’ He is demanding compensation from Demir in the amount of 25,000 Turkish lira (approximately 500 euros).
The lawsuit was accepted by the 10th Civil Court of First Instance of the Mardin Regional Court. The court ordered that it first be examined whether criminal proceedings had been initiated against Demir for insulting a public official in connection with the statement. The continuation of the proceedings depends on the outcome of this preliminary examination. Demir described the action as an attempt to intimidate critical voices.