Abdullah Zeydan
{{short description|Kurdish politician}}{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Abdullah Zeydan
| office1 = Mayor of Van
| term_start1 = 5 April 2024
| term_end1 = 15 February 2025
| predecessor1 = Ozan Balcı
| successor1 = Ozan Balcı
| office2 = Member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey
| constituency2 = Hakkari
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|3|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = Yüksekova
| order =
| termstart2 = June 2015
| termend2 = November 2016
| parents = Mustafa Zeydan
| image = Abdullah Zeydan, Van.png
}}
Abdullah Zeydan (born 13 March 1972 in Yüksekova){{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Hakkari Milletvekili Abdullah Zeydan Kimdir?|url=http://bianet.org/bianet/yasam/180437-hakkari-milletvekili-abdullah-zeydan-kimdir|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161105131703/http://bianet.org/bianet/yasam/180437-hakkari-milletvekili-abdullah-zeydan-kimdir |archive-date=2016-11-05 |access-date=13 August 2020|website=Bianet}} is a Kurdish politician from Turkey and a member of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party).{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Jailed Kurdish lawmaker allowed first family visit in months|url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/4070f597-7b22-4b2c-96e2-813b425bf5f5/jailed-kurdish-lawmaker-allowed-first-family-visit-in-months|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2020-08-13|website=www.kurdistan24.net}}
Education
He attended primary school and high school in Yüksekova in the Hakkari Province.{{Cite web|title=Abdullah Zeydan - Hakkari Milletvekili Adayları - 7 Haziran 2015 Genel Seçimleri {{!}} SABAH|url=http://www.sabah.com.tr/secim/7-haziran-2015-genel-secimleri/hakkari-0-bolge-milletvekili-adaylari/abdullah-zeydan|access-date=2020-08-12|website=www.sabah.com.tr}}
Political career
Abdullah Zeydan was elected as a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in the general elections of June 2015 representing Hakkari{{Cite web|last=IHA|title=Yüksekova'da Resmi Seçim Sonuçları Açıklandı|url=https://www.hurriyet.com.tr/yuksekova-da-resmi-secim-sonuclari-aciklandi-37124918|access-date=2020-08-12|website=Hürriyet|language=tr}} and re-elected on the snap elections in November of the same year.{{Cite web|last=Şafak|first=Yeni|date=2020-08-13|title=Hakkari Seçim Sonuçları 2015 - Genel Seçim Kasım 2015|url=https://www.yenisafak.com/secim-2015-kasim/hakkari-ili-secim-sonuclari|access-date=2020-08-12|website=Yeni Şafak|language=tr-TR}} Zeydan, running on a pro-Kurdish DEM party ticket, came first in the Van local election held on 31 March 2024, but the Diyarbakır 5th High Criminal Court annulled his election as mayor of the city with a decision taken on 4 April 2024.{{cn|date=April 2024}} Zeydan appealed to the Supreme Election Board and was instated as mayor.{{Cite web|url=https://apnews.com/article/turkey-prokurdish-mayor-mandate-664beac0ea24911a8b5f8af4dd1e6361|title=Turkey’s top election authority restores newly elected pro-Kurdish mayor’s right to hold office|date=3 April 2024|website=Associated Press|access-date=3 April 2024}}
Judicial prosecution
In 2015, he was criticized for saying "(If PKK wanted,) PKK would drown you in spit"{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/turkce/articles/cz5zz7g0817o|title=Van Büyükşehir Belediye Başkanı seçilen DEM Partili Abdullah Zeydan’ın seçilme hakkı geri alındı, İl Seçim Kurulu AKP'li adaya mazbata verme kararı aldı|date=2024-04-02|access-date=2024-04-02|language=Turkish}} then he was imprisoned on 4 November 2016 together with fellow HDP deputies{{Cite web|last=SCF|date=2018-01-11|title=Turkish court sentences pro-Kurdish HDP deputy Zeydan to 8 years in prison|url=https://stockholmcf.org/turkish-court-sentences-pro-kurdish-hdp-deputy-zeydan-to-8-years-in-prison/|access-date=2020-08-13|website=Stockholm Center for Freedom|language=en-US}} and charged for having attended funerals of members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) but also the Peoples Protections Forces (YPG) who fought against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).{{Cite web|last=Khalidi|first=Ari|date=|title=Kurdish MP in Turkey sentenced to 8 years in prison|url=https://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/4bcc2684-4710-4529-99fb-f7329137e97e|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111175840/http://www.kurdistan24.net/en/news/4bcc2684-4710-4529-99fb-f7329137e97e |archive-date=2018-01-11 |access-date=2020-08-13|website=www.kurdistan24.net}} Zeydan was imprisoned in the F-type prison in Edirne together with Selahattin Demirtaş, with whom he joined a hunger strike in protest of the detention conditions in March 2017.{{Cite web|date=2017-03-31|title=Jailed pro-Kurdish party leader begins hunger strike|url=https://apnews.com/3c9d18c183be4587857ae3c2b4eccfdf|access-date=2020-08-13|website=Associated Press}} He also joined a hunger strike in protest of the detention conditions of Abdullah Öcalan, which was initiated by Leyla Güven. He was to take part in it for 10 days.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=2 January 2019|title=Arrested Politician Zeydan on Hunger Strike|url=http://bianet.org/english/human-rights/204088-arrested-politician-abdullah-zeydan-on-hunger-strike|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=13 August 2020|website=Bianet}} He was punished for this the same month by the prison authorities, but Abdullah Öcalan was permitted a visit of his brother days after Zeydan joined the hunger strike. In January 2018, Zeydan was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment for allegedly supporting a "terrorist" organization and making "terrorist" propaganda. In November 2019, a court ruled he be released. But this decision was opposed by the prosecutor of Diyarbakır on the same day, after which the court reconsidered and decided to keep him imprisoned.{{Cite web|title=Turkey's pro-Kurdish party former co-chair, MP to remain in prison|url=https://www.duvarenglish.com/politics/2019/11/02/turkeys-pro-kurdish-party-former-co-chair-mp-to-remain-in-prison/|access-date=2020-08-28|website=www.duvarenglish.com|language=en-GB}} The State Prosecutor to the Court of Cassation in Turkey Bekir Şahin filed a lawsuit before the Constitutional Court on 17 March 2021, demanding a five-year ban from participating in politics for Zeydan and 686 other HDP politicians.{{Cite web|title=HDP indictment seeks political ban for 687 members, including Demirtaş, Buldan and Sancar|url=https://www.bianet.org/english/politics/241005-hdp-indictment-seeks-political-ban-for-687-members-including-demirtas-buldan-and-sancar|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-19|website=Bianet|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210318130959/https://bianet.org/english/politics/241005-hdp-indictment-seeks-political-ban-for-687-members-including-demirtas-buldan-and-sancar |archive-date=2021-03-18 }} The lawsuit was filed together with the request for a closure of the HDP due to the party's alleged organizational links with the PKK.{{Cite web|date=2021-03-18|title=Turkish prosecutor seeks political ban on 687 pro-Kurdish politicians|url=https://www.duvarenglish.com/turkish-prosecutor-seeks-political-ban-on-687-pro-kurdish-politicians-news-56691|url-status=live|access-date=2021-03-19|website=www.duvarenglish.com|publisher=Gazete Duvar|language=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412234004/https://www.duvarenglish.com/turkish-prosecutor-seeks-political-ban-on-687-pro-kurdish-politicians-news-56691 |archive-date=2021-04-12 }}
On 6 January 2022, after having attended a hearing in Elâzığ, Zeydan was released from prison.{{Cite news|date=6 January 2022|title=Abdullah Zeydan hat berdan|work=Rûdaw|url=https://www.rudaw.net/kurmanci/kurdistan/060120228|access-date=6 January 2022}}
Personal life
He is married to Dilsah Zeydan and the couple has three daughters. He is the son of Mustafa Zeydan, a former deputy of the Justice and Development Party (AKP).