Turkey suspends 3 mayors, dismisses 1 for terror-links

ANKARA

Turkey on Wednesday suspended three mayors and dismissed another for their suspected terror links.

The Interior Ministry suspended Adnan Topcu and Ulku Karaaslan Baytas, mayors of Bulanik and Varto districts of the eastern province of Mus. They are currently in custody, according to information reached by Anadolu Agency.

Dilaver Kesik, mayor of Erentepe town in Bulanik district, was also dismissed from his post. He is under arrest for willingly aiding a terror group and spreading their propaganda.

Ibrahim Burak Oguz, mayor of Urla district in western Izmir province, was also suspended. Oguz was remanded on Monday for being a member of Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), the group behind the 2016 defeated coup in Turkey.

FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup on July 15, 2016, which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.

Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police, and judiciary.

*Writing by Sena Guler