03/11/2016 (Agence Europe) – The secretary general of the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR), Frédéric Vallier, has expressed his concerns about the forced resignations of more than 30 Turkish mayors – particularly the detention of some of them – and their replacement with central government agents. Vallier expressed these concerns in a letter addressed to the secretary general of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey (UMT), Hayrettin Güngör, on Monday 31 October. The CEMR secretary general also said he was concerned about what has happened to the joint mayors of Diyarbakır, especially Gültan Kisanak, an active member of the global network of cities, and local and regional governments (UCLG). At a more general level, Vallier expressed his most serious concerns about the recent developments in Turkey (see EUROPE 11658) involving government action countering the values of the European Charter of Local Self-Government. The CEMR thus requests clarification from the Turkish government. (PH)