Defense from AKP figure whose resignation was requested for voting for İmamoğlu

It had been alleged that some AKP mayors voted for the CHP candidate Ekrem İmamoğlu in the UMT elections.

It was learned that Erdoğan had requested the resignation of AKP Local Governments Chair Yusuf Ziya Yılmaz if the individuals could not be identified.

Yılmaz stated regarding the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye presidential election, "There is absolutely no such thing as 'AK Party municipalities voted for the Nation Alliance.' There is no such issue. That information is false and practically agitation-filled."

While the CHP had 448 delegates in the UMT elections, the total number of UMT delegates reached 868 including elected delegates. The DEM Party has 64, the YRP has 15, the MHP has 56, and the AKP has 277 delegates.

While the MHP did not participate in the elections, and because there were individuals from the YRP and DEM Party who also did not participate, it was stated that İmamoğlu receiving more votes at the ballot boxes than the CHP's delegate count was due to AKP members voting for İmamoğlu.

There was a 67-vote difference between İmamoğlu's vote and the CHP delegates. The vote difference between the AKP's delegates and Genç was 27.

"AGITATION-FILLED"

Reacting to the reports that AKP mayors voted for İmamoğlu in the election, Yılmaz said:

"The information regarding the Union of Municipalities election is entirely false and fake news, produced with a journalistic approach far from good intentions. There is absolutely no such thing as 'AK Party municipalities voted for the Nation Alliance' there. There is no such issue. That information is false, practically blown out of proportion, and practically agitation-filled.

It is something done with a news approach that also includes hurtful sentences full of agitation and smear, such as claims that our President intervened in the results, or that he got angry or upset. I want to underline that it has nothing to do with the truth in any way. Let alone our friends voting for them, they could not even get the votes they were supposed to receive from their own delegates."

Stating that they have been conducting post-election evaluations, starting particularly with the provinces affected by the earthquake, Yılmaz said, "We always say, 'We come from a political culture that finishes one election and then does what is required for the next election, and even the one after that.' We are continuing in the same way and trying to increase the motivation of our friends. We are talking about the fact that the competition during the candidate determination process in the election is over, that it is now time for embracing and courtesy, and about the things we need to do in the coming period."

News Source: AA