Diyarbakır Co-Mayor Doğan Hatun Resigns

DEM Party Diyarbakır Co-Mayor Doğan Hatun announced her resignation, stating it was part of a principle to step back from duties. Hatun's decision comes after a party conference where newly elected local officials evaluated their performance in the post-election period.

In a social media statement, Hatun reflected on the significance of the March 31, 2024 local elections, particularly for cities like Diyarbakır, which had been under state-appointed trustees for years. She emphasized the commitment to restoring these municipalities to the people's control. After securing nearly 65% of the vote, Hatun acknowledged the considerable responsibilities and challenges of the co-mayoralty.

The co-mayor highlighted the recent "Peace and Democratic Society Call" as a new opening for hope and peace in Turkey, suggesting a partial dispersal of the prevailing anti-democratic atmosphere. She stressed that building a democratic society requires each official to fulfill their role and mission effectively. However, the party's Local Governments Conference revealed shared assessments that the new era and restructuring were not fully understood, old habits persisted, and the duties of the office were not adequately met.

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I want to frankly state that I could not respond to the basic responsibilities expected of me by our party and our people within the scope of the duty I have carried out as the Co-Mayor of Amed Metropolitan Municipality for more than two years; that I could not show sufficient productivity in terms of producing service; that I could not fulfill the role and mission I undertook at the desired level; that I could not implement the leadership duty in line with expectations.

Motivated by these reflections, Hatun candidly admitted her inability to fully meet the expectations of her party and the people during her over two-year tenure. She cited insufficient productivity in service delivery and a failure to fully embody the leadership role. Hatun also mentioned constructive criticism from the public as guiding factors. Crucially, she revealed that ongoing health issues, including three angioplasties, have significantly impacted her physical well-being and ability to participate effectively in her duties.

Considering these shortcomings, Hatun concluded that stepping down was necessary, especially for the new period and the Peace and Democratic Society process. Her resignation underscores a period of self-reflection and accountability within the party following the recent elections.

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My health problems, which I started to experience during this process, have seriously affected me negatively and have become a significant obstacle to my effective participation in the work. Having an angioplasty three times during my term of office has physically worn me out; it has become an obstacle to my participation in the work at the expected level.