Birecik Mayor and council members resign from DEM Party

Mehmet Begit, who won the Birecik district mayoral election in Şanlıurfa on March 31 as a candidate for the DEM Party, along with council members Mahmut Dirier, Sakıp Yaşar, Reşit Çelikhan, and Ahmet Arar, have resigned from their party.

Announcing the reasons for their resignation in a press statement, Begit stated that they would not accept external interventions.

Begit's resignation statement is as follows:

Claiming that there were attempts to manage the municipality from the outside, Begit said, "I would like to express my endless gratitude for the support you gave me in the mayoral elections held on March 31, 2024. This election was won with the largest vote margin in the history of mayoral elections here.

Our people believed in us and trusted us. We began our duty with this belief.

First of all, it must be stated that the words I will say have absolutely no connection or relation to the DEM Party members who trusted us and voted for us; however, it is impossible for us to accept the interventions that a specific group attempted to make against our flag, the portrait of Atatürk, and the portrait of the President during the period following the election.

Furthermore, pressures regarding external management began to emerge during the post-election period. I aspire to govern with the people of our Birecik district. Only the people of Birecik govern the Birecik district. I am determined on this matter. No will is above the will of the people.

For these reasons, I am resigning from the DEM Party along with my 4 council member colleagues. We are continuing our duties as the Birecik Mayor and council members as independents. We are at the service of the people of Birecik."

News Source: İHA