Pro-Kurdish lawmakers stage protest in Turkey’s parliament to denounce the ouster of a new mayor

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — More than a dozen legislators from Turkey’s pro-Kurdish party have staged a demonstration in parliament to denounce the arrest and expulsion from office of a newly elected mayor. Authorities on Monday detained the mayor of Hakkari province over alleged links to Kurdish militants and replaced him with the province’s state-appointed governor. The DEM is the third largest party in Turkey’s parliament. It denies allegations of links to the PKK, which is listed as a terror organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. In the past, Turkey’s government has similarly expelled numerous elected pro-Kurdish mayors over alleged connections to Kurdish militants.