Zülküf Karatekin (born 1965, Kırkpınar, Diyarbakır[1]) is a Turkish engineer and politician of Kurdish descent. He was a member of the political parties Social Democratic Populist Party (SHP), the Democratic Society Party (DTP). He was elected the Mayor of Kayapinar and imprisoned during his second term in 2009.
Zülküf Kayapinar | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Kayapınar | |
| In office 2004–2009 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1965 (age 58–59) Kirkpinar |
| Political party | Democratic Society Party (DTP) |
| Education | Engineering and Architecture |
| Alma mater | Selçuk University |
Education
editHe completed his primary school in Kırkpınar village and high school in Diyarbakır.[1] in 1986, Karatekin graduated from in Engineering and Architecture department from the Selçuk University in Konya.[1]
Professional career
editHe started to work at Iller Bank in 1987.[1] He was elected as a Member of the Board of Directors to the Chamber of Civil Engineers of the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) in 1996 and as the chairman of it in 1998.[1] He was re-elected as the chairman for three terms.[1] He was exiled to Kastamonu in 1999 and later his employment contract was terminated by Iller Bank.[1]
Political career
editIn the 28 March 2004 elections, Karatekin was elected as the Mayor of Kayapinar representing the SHP.[1] In 2005, Karatekin joined the DTP.[1] During his tenure, he was investigated for having ordered to build a swimming pool in the shape of a Kurdistan in 2007.[2] The pool was located in the Medya park, which was inaugurated in June 2007.[3] Another park inaugurated during her mayorship was the ... Park, which did not have a name because its original name Rosna, was rejected by the State-Appointed Governorship.[3]
Karatekin was arrested in December 2009 due to suspected links to the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK).[4] During his detention he claimed that all of Diyarbakir was part of the KCK and that they wouldn't be able to change this by detaining him.[5] He was tried together with other politicians of his party in the so-called KCK-trials and released in July 2014.[6] Following his release was active in the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).[7] Later he decided to leave Turkey in 2020 and go to exile into Austria.[8] He arrived in Fieberbrunn in Tyrol, where he applied for asylum.[7]
In media
editHe was one of the interviewed politicians for the documentary Prison or Exile.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i Haritası, Seçim. "Zülküf Karatekin Kayapınar Belediyesi Başkanı". www.secimharitasi.com. Retrieved 2022-07-01.
- ^ "DTP Mayor faces charges for building 'Kurdistan'-shaped public swimming pool". www.hurriyet.com.tr (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-07-02.
- ^ a b Güvenç, Muna (2011). "Constructing Narratives of Kurdish Nationalism in the Urban Space of Diyarbakir, Turkey". Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review. 23 (1): 35–36. ISSN 1050-2092 – via JSTOR.
- ^ "Kurdish Politicians Kept in Detention". Bianet. 28 December 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2022.
- ^ "Anti-PKK operation leads to detention of Kurdish mayors" (PDF). Kurdish Institute of Paris. Today's Zaman. p. 67.
- ^ "30 Kurdish politicians released in 'KCK' main trial in Turkey". ekurd.net. Retrieved 2022-07-02.
- ^ a b Bonvalot, Michael. ""In einem Rechtstaat würde ich freigesprochen"". Firat News Agency (in German). Retrieved 2022-07-02.
- ^ ""Gefängnis oder Exil" - Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung". www.rosalux.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-07-02.
- ^ "sweetSixteen Kino » Gefängnis oder Exil" (in German). Retrieved 2022-07-02.