Bahçelievler Mayor's remarks in council spark crisis!

The first December council session held at the Bahçelievler Municipality was marked by controversy due to remarks made by AKP Mayor Hakan Bahadır toward CHP Group Deputy Chair Gencay Özcan. The dialogue that took place in the municipality, where the CHP holds the council majority, was met with reactions from both council members and citizens in the hall.

“LET ME GET HIM MARRIED SO HE CAN RELAX”

CHP member Gencay Özcan brought up the issue of unlicensed parking lot operations, which was among the irregularities identified by the Court of Accounts. Upon Özcan's question, “Do you have a license?”, Mayor Hakan Bahadır’s response,

“Let me get him married so he can relax, and his aggression will go away,” escalated the debate.

Following these words, reactions rose from the CHP group, and Gencay Özcan replied:

“I leave that level to you; you speak at that level. I am asking about a license, and you are talking about getting someone married. Get a parking license without being aggressive.”

HE HAD PREVIOUSLY CALLED A FEMALE COUNCIL MEMBER “DISHONORABLE”

It is known that Hakan Bahadır has used controversial language in council sessions before. In recent months, a one-month restraining order was issued against him under the “Law on the Prevention of Violence Against Women” for calling CHP female council member Bahar Günçiçek “dishonorable.”

Bahadır also frequently makes headlines with his harsh outbursts at the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB) Council.

28 IRREGULARITIES IDENTIFIED

In the latest Court of Accounts reports, 28 separate irregularities were recorded for the Bahçelievler Municipality, which has been under AKP administration for a long time. One of these was the unlicensed parking lot operation that Özcan brought to the agenda in the council.