Gambling footage at an AKP-run municipality's 'festival'! Despite the presence of municipal police...

Turhan Çömez, Deputy Group Chairman of the İYİ Party in the Turkish Grand National Assembly, shared a video on social media regarding the 25th Sakarlı Hıdırellez Festival, which was organized by the AKP-run municipality in the Terme district of Samsun.

Claiming that gambling was taking place at the festival, Çömez stated that although the event was titled "Culture, Arts, and Sports Activities Festival," it actually resembled a casino.

In his post, Çömez used the following expressions:

"The AKP mayor of Samsun's Terme district is organizing a 'Culture, Arts, and Sports Activities Festival.' It's called a festival, but it's actually a knock-off Las Vegas! Gambling is going on everywhere."

??The AKP mayor of Samsun's Terme district;
Is organizing a "Culture, Arts, and Sports Activities Festival."
??It's called a festival, but it's actually a knock-off Las Vegas!
¦?Gambling is going on everywhere.
??And the municipal police are going around conducting inspections, can you believe it?
??Who knows how much money they squandered on this!
??What... pic.twitter.com/6eNlDu6hss

— Turhan Çömez (@ComezTurhan) May 25, 2025

Furthermore, noting that gambling was widespread at the event despite the municipal police conducting inspections, Çömez expressed his reaction by saying, "Who knows how much money they squandered on this! There is no culture, no art, and no sports!" Stating that similar situations were occurring not only in Terme but also in Alaçam, Çömez added, "Look at the state the 'Movement of the Virtuous' has fallen into!" he said.

These statements by Çömez resonated widely on social media and sparked debates regarding how the festival was organized.