A farewell to Ferdi Zeyrek from imprisoned mayors: 'Not being able to attend your funeral...'

Ferdi Zeyrek, who died at the age of 48 and had been serving as Manisa Metropolitan Mayor for about 1 and a half years, was seriously injured after being electrocuted at his home on the night of June 5. After three days of intensive care treatment, he died at around 17.00 on Monday, June 9.

Zeyrek’s death was met with great sadness by jailed CHP mayors. Many jailed mayors, including Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, bid farewell to Zeyrek with messages they issued from prison.

İMAMOĞLU: MY HEART HURTS MORE THAN I CAN DESCRIBE

In his message, jailed Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu said, “My heart hurts more than I can describe. I am very, very saddened. We are experiencing the indescribable sorrow of losing our dear friend, comrade, brother, our Manisa Metropolitan Mayor Ferdi Zeyrek, whom I knew to be hardworking, honest, enthusiastic, successful, sincere and devoted to Manisa. May God have mercy on him. May he rest in paradise. My condolences to his family, his loved ones and our fellow citizens of Manisa.”

Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer, who is jailed, said, “We are deeply saddened to have lost a very valuable mayor of ours”, while Avcılar Mayor Utku Caner Çaykara said, “May God have mercy on our esteemed mayor, who passed away while undergoing treatment”.

Beykoz Mayor Alaattin Köseler also expressed his sorrow in his statement, saying, “Our Mayor Ferdi still had so much to say and so many roads to walk successfully. I am very sad... Another early loss, where words fail...”

Büyükçekmece Mayor Hasan Akgün drew attention to Zeyrek’s honesty and hard work:

“Beautiful person who left a mark with his service, the Efe of Manisa, may your soul rest in peace, may you rest in paradise.”

Beylikdüzü Mayor Mehmet Murat Çalık used the words “Not being able to attend your funeral hurts me even more, my dear brother”.

Ceyhan Mayor Kadir Aydar said, “His efforts and services will always be remembered with respect,” while Gaziosmanpaşa Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe and Beşiktaş Mayor Rıza Akpolat also expressed their sadness over Zeyrek’s loss in the condolence messages they issued.