BREAKING NEWS... The ruling party's move failed: Manavgat Municipality remains with CHP
Following the arrest of Mayor Şükrü Sözen, the Manavgat Municipal Council elected CHP member Mehmet Çiçek as acting mayor in the subsequent election. The CHP secured the victory in the critical vote with 20 votes.
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In the Manavgat district of Antalya, all eyes were on the municipal council following the arrest of Mayor Şükrü Sözen. The vote for the acting mayor took place today. Municipal Council Member Mehmet Çiçek, the CHP's candidate, won the election.
MEHMET ÇİÇEK ELECTED WITH 20 VOTES
In the vote held at the Manavgat Municipal Council, Mehmet Çiçek was elected acting mayor with 20 votes. His opponent received 16 votes.
ÖZGÜR ÖZEL HAD EXPLAINED THE PLOT...
CHP Chairman Özgür Özel had described the process following the arrests at Manavgat Municipality during a rally his party held in Antalya as follows:
-There is a difference of three municipal council members between the AK Party and the CHP in Manavgat. The baklava maker named four people, they took all four into custody, and they tried to quickly hold a Municipal Council election to hand Manavgat over to the AK Party.
-Just at that moment, three of the municipal council members who were inside submitted their resignations. Their replacements came from the reserve list of municipal council members.
-The AK Party's calculation did not work out at that moment. The prosecutor called the baklava maker back in. The baklava maker gave the names of four more municipal council members. He had those four taken in as well. Once again, the AK Party moved ahead of the CHP. They were going to hold an election immediately and take Manavgat, which the people of Manavgat did not give to the AK Party.
-It turned out that our municipal council members had resigned from the municipality while they were being taken into custody. The reserves were to be called in again. The AK Party applied, saying, 'You cannot call them in; the Municipal Council will convene, we will elect the mayor, and then you will call them in'.
-The wife of the prosecutor who carried out this operation is the President of the Manavgat District Election Board. We said, 'This is not right,' and we filed an objection. The objection went to Ankara, to the Supreme Election Council (YSK).
-The YSK said, 'The CHP is right,' and sent the letter today at 15:00. Against this plot, at five minutes to five in the evening, the prosecutor's wife, the President of the District Election Board, instead of signing, said 'I am sick' and took medical leave.
-Do not worry at all, the YSK's letter is solid. Another judge has been appointed as the President of the District Election Board; they will examine it and do what is necessary.