Mayor of Silopi removed from DEM Party membership
Jiyan Ormanlı, the Mayor of Silopi, has been expelled from the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) following a referral to the party's disciplinary committee on July 2, 2023. The expulsion was initiated due to Ormanlı's actions being contrary to the policies of the DEM Party, although the specific reasons remain unspecified.
Ormanlı, who was elected in the 2024 local elections with 62.9% of the vote, significantly ahead of her closest competitors from the Future Party and AKP, has not resigned from her mayoral position as of August 7, 2025. Despite her expulsion, the DEM Party has called for her resignation as mayor and emphasized a desire to manage Silopi Municipality with a collective management approach focused on the interests of its residents.
The local administration council of the DEM Party emphasized that Ormanlı's work is in the interests of the people. However, the future governance of Silopi Municipality may change subject to Ormanlı's decisions and potential political developments within the municipality and party. According to Turkish local government structure, municipalities are headed by elected mayors, and any changes in mayoral governance typically depend on resignation, legal removal, or new elections.
Without Ormanlı’s resignation or legal interventions, she may technically remain mayor, although without party support. The DEM Party's statement suggests an intent to shift toward collective management and prioritize local interests, but concrete details on administrative changes or new leadership have not been disclosed.
In the 2024 local elections, Ormanlı finished ahead of the Future Party's Nizar Ökten, who received 21.5% of the vote, and the ruling Justice and Development Party's (AKP) Nihat Mehmetoğlu, who received 7.4% of the vote. The reasons for Ormanlı's expulsion were unspecified activities during her tenure in the district of Şırnak in Turkey's southeast.
In summary, Jiyan Ormanlı has been expelled from the DEM Party but remains mayor as no resignation or removal has been reported yet. The DEM Party advocates for collective municipal management and has requested her resignation. The future governance of Silopi Municipality may change subject to Ormanlı's decisions and potential political developments within the municipality and party.
The expulsion of Jiyan Ormanlı from the DEM Party has sparked political discussions, as it pertains to policy-and-legislation within the party and politics more broadly. The general news regarding Ormanlı's situation raises questions about the future governance of Silopi Municipality, given the emphasis on collective management from the DEM Party and the ongoing lack of clarity regarding new leadership or administrative changes.
