‘Respect for National Will March’ in Çekmeköy by YENİ Party: The mayor who switched to AKP was the target

Following Çekmeköy Mayor Orhan Çerkez's switch to the AKP, the YENİ Party organized a “Respect for National Will March” in the district. The march, which proceeded from Çekmeköy Nature Park to Madenler Square, was attended by YENİ Party Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik, Istanbul deputies Özgür Karabat and Cemal Enginyurt, Çekmeköy District Chair Haydar Arslan, Provincial Women's Branch Chair Hatice Selli Dursun, Provincial Youth Branch Chair Erdem Kara, and numerous party members.

Speaking during the march, YENİ Party Istanbul Deputy Cemal Enginyurt launched a harsh verbal attack on Çekmeköy Mayor Orhan Çerkez, who switched to the AKP. Criticizing Çerkez's statement that he switched “for the sake of service,” Enginyurt alleged that the mayor had been threatened.

Reminding the crowd of imprisoned politicians, Enginyurt argued that Çerkez had “abandoned his fellow travelers.” Stating, “May our blood dry up if we forget you, Orhan,” Enginyurt expressed that the will of the voters was being disregarded through party changes.

ÇELİK EMPHASIZES ‘NATIONAL WILL’

In his speech, YENİ Party Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik claimed that opposition municipalities have been subjected to pressure since the local elections. Çelik stated that municipalities are being financially strained, that some revenue-generating assets are being seized, and that mayors are being targeted through various operations.

Çelik alleged that council members in Bayrampaşa and Gaziosmanpaşa were being pressured, and that similar attempts were being made in Üsküdar. Criticizing the party switches in Şile, Tuzla, and Çekmeköy, Çelik said, “They have started to take back at the table what they lost at the ballot box and in the elections through attempts to seize control.”

Stating that they had won the election in Çekmeköy for the first time, Çelik argued that they would win the municipality back in the next local elections. Apologizing to the voters in Çekmeköy, Tuzla, and Şile, Çelik said that during the candidate selection process, they “could not understand the character” of the individuals in question in such a short time.

Touching upon the trials held in Silivri in his speech, Çelik claimed that the right to defense for Ekrem İmamoğlu and those accompanying him was being restricted. Declaring that “there is no power above the nation,” Çelik stated that voters would respond to these practices at the ballot box.

Following the march, the opening of the YENİ Party Çekmeköy District Headquarters was held.