Declaration from 26 mayors in Istanbul regarding the trustee appointment

Following the arrest of CHP's Esenyurt Mayor Ahmet Özer and the appointment of a trustee in his place, the CHP's vigil in Esenyurt continues.

26 district mayors from the CHP in Istanbul have issued a joint declaration on the matter.

In the declaration, which protests Özer's arrest and the appointment of a trustee, it was stated, "No anti-democratic force will be able to prevent us from serving Istanbul. We will fight with all our might for democracy and the rule of law to save our beautiful country from unjust and unlawful practices, and we will work with all our might for a beautiful future." The declaration further stated, "The government acting with a mentality that ignores the will of its own people and fights with its people is a major threat to our democracy. Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation!"

The following was recorded in the declaration:

"We are determined to protect the will of the people in the face of the injustice and lawlessness experienced in Esenyurt, one of Turkey's largest districts. Our Esenyurt Mayor, Prof. Dr. Ahmet Özer, is a scientist who was elected with the legitimate votes of our people and deemed worthy of the office due to his clean record and merit. However, he was detained and arrested in a 'dawn operation' based on fabricated grounds. The will of the people has been interfered with, and our democracy has suffered a deep wound. The independence and democratic functioning of local governments are among the fundamental values of our democracy.

As stated in our Constitution, a fair and transparent judicial process should be conducted for local administrators accused of crimes related to their duties, and they should not be removed from office without a final court decision. However, in Esenyurt, without any final decision, the appointment of a trustee has replaced democratic legitimacy. This is a disrespect not only to our mayor but to the will of all the people of Esenyurt.

What has been happening in the Esenyurt Municipality for the last 11 days shows us how the rule of law is being disregarded. Our municipal council has not even been called to a meeting, the municipality has begun to be managed by appointed civil servants, and the powers of the council, the executive committee, and the commissions have been transferred to appointed individuals. This is an open act of tutelage not only against the mayor but against all elected council members and, consequently, the will of the people.

The government acting with a mentality that ignores the will of its own people and fights with its people is a major threat to our democracy. Sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation! We cannot allow political goals to lead to the instrumentalization of the law and the violation of this principle. We are determined to stand tall against these unlawful practices in Esenyurt and to defend the will of the people.

"WE WILL NOT TAKE A STEP BACK FROM OUR MARCH TO POWER"

We are here to protect democracy and uphold the will of the people with the authority we have received from our nation. As local governments of the Republican People's Party (CHP), we are Turkey's leading party, and we will not remain silent in the face of any unlawful pressure. We will not take a step back from our march to power, which we embarked upon to bring goodness to our country. We will never allow unlawful interventions against the elected officials of this country to overshadow our people's commitment to the Republic and democracy. We will continue our struggle in the squares, before the judiciary, and on all democratic platforms until this lawlessness ends.

We are loyally committed to the struggle for democracy and law that our leader, Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, bequeathed to us. Therefore, we do not accept any unlawful will above the will of our people. No anti-democratic force will be able to prevent us from serving Istanbul. We will fight with all our might for democracy and the rule of law to save our beautiful country from unjust and unlawful practices, and we will work with all our might for a beautiful future.

We would like to emphasize once again in capital letters: 'We will never allow the principle that sovereignty belongs unconditionally to the nation to be violated.'" 

News Source: 12punto