A Turkish court has sentenced Abdullah Zeydan, the co-mayor of Van from the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party, to three years and nine months in prison on charges of “aiding and propagandizing for a terrorist group.” The decision comes after a retrial in Diyarbakır’s 5th High Criminal Court, where Zeydan was accused of participating in a human shield protest in Hakkari’s Yüksekova district in October 2015.
Despite expert reports and military testimonies confirming that Zeydan was far from the protest site and did not enter a restricted area, the court ruled against him. Zeydan’s lawyer, Mehmet Emin Aktar, criticized the decision, labeling it politically motivated and not based on legal grounds. Aktar stated that the ruling was a punishment for Zeydan’s political stance rather than a legitimate legal conviction, citing a lack of evidence and the court’s predetermined judgment.
Following Zeydan’s sentencing, co-mayor Neslihan Şedal condemned the decision and accused the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of undermining Kurdish political progress. She called for unity among Van residents and vowed to defend the people’s will against the political interference of the AKP.
This sentence follows a lengthy legal battle, with Zeydan previously sentenced to over eight years in 2016 for similar charges, only to be released in 2023 after the Court of Cassation reversed his sentence. Zeydan regained his right to vote and run for office, and his election victory in 2024 was challenged by the Turkish authorities, who attempted to appoint a government trustee to the municipality.
Zeydan and his supporters view the court’s decision as part of a broader political campaign against Kurdish representation in local politics and an effort to suppress the democratic will of the people in Van.
