Murat Emir’s Üsküdar Municipality claim: 'They are trying to change the council arithmetic'

Group Deputy Chairman Murat Emir made statements at a press conference held at the TBMM regarding the acting mayor election process taking place at Üsküdar Municipality. Arguing that there is an attempt to change the municipal administration following the arrest of Mayor Sinem Dedetaş, Emir claimed that pressure is being exerted on municipal council members ahead of the new election scheduled for September 5.

Emir alleged that there is "interference with the popular will" in Üsküdar and described the process as a "dirty scenario put into motion to seize the mayoral seat." Reminding that an operation was conducted against the municipality on April 7 and that Dedetaş was detained on July 29 and arrested four days later, Emir stated that trial without detention should be the norm.

We had said that their real concern is to seize Üsküdar Municipality, and that they would try to take by force of police, prosecutors, judges, pressure, the AKP's political power, and even someone's financial power what they could not get at the ballot box, what the people of Üsküdar did not give them.

“OUR VOTE DROPPED FROM 26 TO 22”

Stating that an acting mayor election was held in the municipal council on August 5 following Dedetaş's arrest, Emir said that their group has 27 municipal council members. Emir stated that their candidate received 26 votes in the first round, but the vote count dropped to 22 in the fourth round, alleging that pressure and suggestions were made to the council members.

While arguing that attempts were made to influence the votes of some municipal council members, Emir stated that the increase in the AKP candidate's votes must be clarified. According to Emir, some council members were threatened during this process, while others were offered various promises.

Murat Emir also brought up a striking allegation regarding municipal council member Ahmet Başbaydar. Stating that Başbaydar's son was convicted on charges of KCK membership and has been in the UK for 15 years, Emir claimed that some individuals from the Ministry of Justice reached out to Başbaydar.

We will have your son brought back, as long as you vote in favor of the AKP.

Emir said that the name of Deputy Minister of Justice Sedat Ayyıldız was mentioned in this allegation, stating, "These are grave allegations. These allegations must be investigated." Stating that the son of another municipal council member, Hüseyin Kazan, was released on parole about a week before the vote, Emir expressed suspicion that this might also have been intended to influence voting preferences.

REACTION TO DETENTIONS BEFORE SEPTEMBER 5

Stating that the AKP applied to both the administrative court and the prosecutor's office following the acting mayor election, Emir said the process was taken to the judiciary on the grounds that there were irregularities in the election. Noting that the Administrative Court issued a stay of execution and the municipality's objection was rejected by the Regional Administrative Court on September 2, Emir noted that this paved the way for a new election.

Emir announced that municipal council members Mithat Özdemir and Amine Cansu Çelik were detained on September 2, and Ekrem Baki was detained on the morning of September 3. Stating that Nihat Doğan and the 1st Deputy Speaker of the Council Ali Aral were also summoned to testify as part of different files, Emir argued that this was aimed at changing the council arithmetic before the September 5 election.

The decision is made on September 2, the election will be held on September 5. On September 5, the last vote we received was 22, and the vote they received was 19. That 22 needs to be pulled down.

Addressing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the end of his statement, Emir said that the people of Üsküdar made their decision at the ballot box. Claiming that the detention and judicial processes targeting municipal council members are intended to influence the election, Emir said, "This nation will punish those who look askance at its will and its ballot box when the first election comes."