Citizens in flood-hit Trabzon react to AKP mayor: 'The mayor is dancing the horon in the Netherlands'

Heavy rainfall in Trabzon has effectively paralyzed the city. While rainwater brought life to a standstill in many neighborhoods, roads were closed and homes and businesses were submerged. As citizens awaited assistance from the municipality, it emerged that Trabzon Metropolitan Mayor Ahmet Metin Genç was abroad.

Footage of Mayor Genç attending an event in the Netherlands drew a flood of reactions.

REACTIONS TO THE MAYOR ARE GROWING

Following the flood disaster, while citizens were carrying out evacuation efforts on their own, the fact that Mayor Genç was out of the city was criticized on social media. Genç's sharing of a video showing him attending a Highland Festival held in the Netherlands caused the backlash to intensify even further.

Republican People's Party (CHP) Trabzon Provincial Chair Mustafa Bak criticized Mayor Genç in harsh terms in a statement regarding the matter. Bak said, "It is unacceptable for the mayor to be having fun abroad while people in Trabzon are suffering."

Many users on social media criticized the mayor's attitude, stating that he should take responsibility. While the extent of the damage caused by the flood in Trabzon has not yet been fully determined, the mayor's presence abroad has caused a widespread public outcry.

Following the backlash, Genç made a series of posts on his social media account.