Ayhan Bilgen
Ayhan Bilgen is a journalist and politician from the Peoples' Democratic Party. He currently serves as the current mayor of Kars.
In 2006 he was engaged in the Turkish Human Rights association Mazlumder in which activity he opposed the new Anti-Terror bill by the Turkish Government as it limited the freedom of expression. In 2011 the newspaper he was the editor in chief of, Günlük, was closed by the Turkish authorities due to suspected support of the Kurdistan Workers' Party. He was elected to the Turkish parliament for Kars as a representative for the HDP in the general election of June 2015, and again the snap elections of November 2015. He supported the defense of Kobani against the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant in Kobani and was prosecuted for taking part in manifestations in October 2014 during the Siege of Kobani. He was arrested in spring 2017 and released in September of the same year. During his parliamentary career he advocated for Human Rights, Kurdish rights and the protection of the environment. In the local elections of March 2019 he was elected the Mayor of Kars. In May 2020, after several Municipalities won by the HDP were put under the authority of state appointed trustees, Bilgen received the support from dozens of human rights organization.
