Diyarbakir - A Turkish court charged three Kurdish mayors with separatist crimes today following their arrest at the weekend on allegations of ties to Abdullah Ocalan's guerrillas, security officials said.
The mayors' fate has been seen by many as a litmus test of Turkish efforts to resolve tensions in the troubled region. The charges effectively close the door on any hopes that the mayors, members of the Kurdish HADEP party, could establish a dialogue with central government to tackle grievances in the troubled south-east.