Two mayors in eastern Turkey have been dismissed after being convicted of terrorism for belonging to the banned PKK, announces the country's interior minister.
The mayors of Tunceli and Ovacik have both been sentenced earlier in the week to six years and three months in prison for being members of the Kurdish PKK, labeled as a terrorist organization.
Both have been replaced by state-appointed administrators, according to a statement from the interior department.
One of the mayors belongs to the largest pro-Kurdish party DEM, which the authorities regularly accuse of having links to the PKK.
Earlier this fall, three Kurdish mayors were dismissed by the government in Ankara, accused of having links to terrorism. This led to demonstrations, and human rights organizations and the Council of Europe condemned the dismissals.
