Is Aydın heading for a re-election? Here is the early election formula

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel challenged President and AKP Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the "The Nation Protects Its Will" rally held in Aydın. Targeting Aydın Metropolitan Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu, who resigned from his party to join the AKP, Özel stated the following:

"Hey Tayyip Erdoğan! Hundreds of thousands in Aydın want their votes back. If you have the courage, I challenge you! Whether we empty the municipal council here or take a decision in the assembly, I challenge you, let's renew the Aydın elections. Let's put the ballot box before those who claim that the AK Party is gaining strength through this so-called transfer, this political pickpocketing."

HOW CAN ELECTIONS BE RENEWED?

Following Özel's remarks, the question of "Can the elections really be renewed?" has come to the agenda in Aydın. Former 27th term Ankara MP for the CHP, Yıldırım Kaya, explained step-by-step how the elections could be renewed in a statement to journalist Hülya Özmen.

Reminding that half of the 83 members in the Aydın Metropolitan Municipal Council is 41.5, Kaya stated that the critical number is 42 and noted the following:

"If 42 of the 56 CHP council members resign and the number cannot be completed with substitutes, the council falls. Thus, elections for both the municipal council and the Aydın Metropolitan Mayoralty would have to be renewed."

Yıldırım Kaya stated that this process is based on the Law on Local Administration Elections. Article 29/1-c of the law states:

"If there are vacancies in the municipal council memberships, substitutes cannot be brought in, and the total number of members falls below half, the election is renewed."

Article 30 of the same law stipulates that if the municipal council elections are renewed, the mayoral elections must also be held on the same date.

"IF THE PEOPLE WANT IT, THE BALLOT BOX WILL COME"

Kaya summarized the outcome of this process as follows:

"The total number of members of the Aydın Metropolitan Municipal Council is 83. If 42 CHP council members resign:

The council election is renewed.

The Metropolitan Mayoral election is also renewed at the same time.

The Supreme Election Council (YSK) announces the election date, and the ballot box is usually set up within 60 days.

If the people of Aydın want the ballot box, the ballot box will come! Özlem Çerçioğlu will go."