Teknofest post drew backlash: Statement from Ali Yerlikaya

CHP Spokesperson Deniz Yücel had called for the resignation of Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, who made a 'Teknofest' post on the same day that the murder of two women in Fatih and sexual assault incidents in Beyoğlu were on the agenda. Yerlikaya responded to these criticisms.

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Teknofest post drew backlash: Statement from Ali Yerlikaya

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, whose 'Teknofest' post drew backlash on the same day Turkey was discussing the murder of two women by a man named Semih Çelik in Fatih and a sexual assault against a woman in Beyoğlu, has made a statement regarding the events.

Sharing on his social media account last night, Yerlikaya said, "I visited our Istanbul Police Department and received a briefing on the recent incidents that occurred."

Stating that "As the Ministry of Interior, our most fundamental principle is the peace of our country," Yerlikaya said, "The foundation of our country's peace lies in the fundamental rights and freedoms of women and zero tolerance for violence against women. We will not allow those who attempt to commit violence against women or those who threaten their peace to breathe easily. We will continue to be the guarantor of peace with our Gendarmerie, our Police, and our Coast Guard. To this end, we have increased our team numbers for the peace and security of Istanbul, both day and night, and we continue to increase them."

Yerlikaya said the following in his statement:

"Following the personnel and vehicle reinforcements that joined our Istanbul Police in the first half of 2024, in Istanbul;

We increased our personnel count by approximately 7 thousand.

We doubled our day and night team numbers.

Finally, during this period, we provided our Istanbul Police with an additional 2 thousand 380 personnel and 174 vehicles. Our increasing personnel count; our day and night team numbers are for establishing the peace and security of our cities, neighborhood by neighborhood, street by street. Our security forces are at the command and service of our Nation at every moment.

Let our Noble Nation be assured: We are continuing and will continue our fight against those who threaten our peace and against criminal hubs 365 days a year, day and night. I wish God's mercy upon our girls Ayşenur Halil and İkbal Uzuner, who fell victim to a brutal murder, and I offer my condolences to their grieving families. I extend my get-well wishes to our girl who was harassed by two individuals in Beyoğlu."

HIS POST DREW BACKLASH

While Turkey was discussing the women's murders in Fatih and the sexual assault against a woman in Beyoğlu, Minister Yerlikaya had made a 'Teknofest' post on his social media account, which drew backlash.

“Geçmişin izinde, geleceğin peşinde”#Teknofest 2024, Adana’da büyük bir coşkuyla devam ediyor.

128 kurumun yer aldığı ve bu yıl 10’uncusu düzenlenen bu etkileyici festivalde İçişleri Bakanlığı olarak:
?? Jandarma Genel Komutanlığı,
?? Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü,
?? Sahil… pic.twitter.com/rdEHEUAIG9
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) October 4, 2024

CALL FOR RESIGNATION FROM CHP

CHP Spokesperson Deniz Yücel reacted to Ali Yerlikaya, saying, "I invite Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, who made a 'Teknofest' post while 2 women were being brutally murdered in Istanbul, to resign immediately. An Interior Minister who has nothing to do with the public's agenda while criminals are harassing women on the streets and murdering them brutally is a disgrace to 21st-century Turkey."

News Source: 12punto