Dismissed from duty: CHP files criminal complaint against AKP member who targeted Atatürk

CHP Urla District Chair Ahmet Bahri Yalaz announced that they have filed a criminal complaint against Serap Ergani, an AKP İzmir Urla Board Member who targeted Atatürk. Ergani had been dismissed from her position by the AKP Urla District Presidency following her scandalous social media post.

12punto 25 November 2025

AKP İzmir Urla Board Member Serap Ergani had targeted the founder of the Republic of Turkey, the Great Leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, in a post she shared on her Facebook account.

The scandalous post stated, "Greek leader Venizelos nominated Kemal Atatürk for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1934. Didn't he drive the Greeks into the sea?"

Following the post, which drew widespread reaction, AKP İzmir Provincial Women's Branch Chair Emel Dalkıran announced that Ergani had been dismissed from her post and her ties to the organization had been severed, while the CHP Urla District Presidency also took action against Ergani.

CHP Urla District Chair Ahmet Bahri Yalaz announced that they have filed a criminal complaint against Ergani for targeting Atatürk and that they will follow the matter closely.

Making a press statement regarding the issue, District Chair Yalaz said:

“The ugly expressions published on social media by Serap Ergani, a member of the Justice and Development Party Women's Branch, directed at the founder of our Republic, our Eternal National Leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the Republican People's Party which Atatürk founded, and Atatürkist thought, constitute an attack on the common values of our society and our sense of national unity and solidarity, and are also of a nature that incites the public to hatred and hostility.

Any disrespect shown to Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk and his values is a clear attack on our nation's history, its struggle for independence, and every individual who loves Atatürk and has adopted his ideas as their ideal. This behavior also incites the public to hatred and hostility.

It is impossible to accept these statements containing hatred, malice, and derogatory elements as falling within the scope of freedom of expression, when they are directed at Atatürk, the founder of the Republic of Turkey, the symbol of our national sovereignty, whose ideas and thoughts have been accepted and appreciated by the whole world.

It is particularly grave that these posts, which wound social peace and tranquility, deepen polarization, are contrary to the law, do not correspond to the facts in any way, and incite the public to hatred and hostility, were made by a member of a political party. We demand that this behavior be investigated within the framework of legal processes and that this act, which constitutes a crime, be followed up and punished by the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor. In this direction, the complaint petition prepared by our lawyers will be submitted to the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, and we will follow the process until the end to ensure that the person in question receives the necessary punishment.

We see the protection of Atatürk's principles and values not only as a historical responsibility but also as a duty towards our future and the protection of our country's national values. We invite all segments of society, especially the government and the Public Prosecutors, to protect our common values, our national unity and solidarity, and to act responsibly.”