Who is Ahmet Türk, who has been removed from his position?

Ahmet Türk was elected as the Mayor of Mardin Metropolitan Municipality for the third time in the local elections on March 31, 2024. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the Kobani Case, which concluded on May 16, 2024. Lastly, the Ministry of Interior appointed trustees to the municipalities of Batman, Mardin, and Halfeti. For this reason, there is curiosity about who Ahmet Türk is. His life and career are being researched. So, who is Ahmet Türk? How old is Ahmet Türk, and where is he from?

WHO IS AHMET TÜRK?

Ahmet Türk was born on July 2, 1942, in the Derik district of Mardin to a Kurdish family. He belongs to the Kanco family, one of the rooted tribes of the Southeast. Ahmet Türk lost his father, Hacı Sinan, in 1954. He entered politics after the murder of his brother, Abdurrahim Türk, who was a member of parliament. He first entered the parliament as a member of the Democratic Party from Mardin in the 15th term of the Turkish Grand National Assembly in 1973, but later resigned from this party and joined the Republican People's Party.

In the following years, Türk held positions in various leftist parties. He was expelled from the SHP, where he was a member of parliament, due to his participation in the Kurdish conference in Paris in 1989. In 1990, he was among the founding members of the People's Labor Party (HEP). He later took active roles in the Democracy Party (DEP), People's Democracy Party (HADEP), and the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP). In 2006, he was elected as co-chair of the Democratic Society Party (DTP) alongside Aysel Tuğluk, becoming one of the first leaders to implement the co-chair system in Turkey. He was elected as an independent member of parliament from Mardin in the 2007 elections. While recounting his meetings to convey a message from then-President Turgut Özal to Abdullah Öcalan, he stated that Özal told him, "Make efforts to stop the flowing blood."

He was elected as the Mayor of Mardin Metropolitan Municipality in the local elections on March 30, 2014. However, in January 2016, he was charged with crimes such as "being a member of an armed terrorist organization" and "propaganda." He was removed from office by the Ministry of Interior on November 17, 2016, and was detained on November 21, 2016. He was arrested and sent to prison on November 24, 2016, but was released on February 3, 2017, due to health issues.

He was elected as the Mayor of Mardin Metropolitan Municipality for the second time in the local elections on March 31, 2019, but was removed from office on August 19, 2019, and a trustee was appointed in his place. Despite announcing on January 14, 2024, that he would retire from active politics, he was persuaded to run again and was elected as the Mayor of Mardin Metropolitan Municipality for the third time in the local elections on March 31, 2024. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in the Kobani Case, which concluded on May 16, 2024.