Police intervene: Tension between Aydın Metropolitan Municipality and Kuşadası Municipality

A construction attempt in the Kuşadası district of Aydın has led to tension between the Aydın Metropolitan Municipality and the Kuşadası Municipality. It is alleged that Kuşadası Municipality teams began construction without authorization on a site belonging to the metropolitan municipality, causing employees from both institutions to confront each other in the evening hours. As the tension escalated, police teams were dispatched to the scene.

Metropolitan Municipality officials stated that the area, which was used as an old service building and parking lot in Kuşadası, is their property, and they demanded that the new construction work initiated by the municipal teams be stopped and the structure removed.

Kuşadası Municipality employees were also present in the area while attempts were being made to dismantle the iron structures. Verbal arguments grew into physical tension after a while. As the tension in the region rose, security teams formed a barricade to prevent the groups from confronting each other. Efforts were made to prevent the incidents from escalating through police intervention.

Kuşadası Municipality issued a written statement regarding the events, expressing its reaction. The statement included the following remarks: "The AK Party's Çerçioğlu has attacked the Kuşadası public's right to service. This shameful practice has gone down in history as a black mark. The Aydın Metropolitan Municipality carried out a de facto occupation by entering the area, which the Kuşadası Municipality had prepared to serve the public, with municipal police force in the evening hours. Kuşadası Municipality bureaucrats and teams, who tried to resist this ugly attack, were subjected to insults and physical assault."

Kuşadası Municipality also announced that the construction belonged to a project initiated to serve the public, and that the intervention was carried out without any court order or clear legal basis. The municipal administration expressed its views on the incident as follows: "This practice, which constitutes a clear attack on the Kuşadası public's right to receive service and has gone down in history as a black mark, has once again revealed how cruel the AK Party's Aydın Metropolitan Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu can become in line with her personal interests, personal scores, and political goals. Those who resisted the occupation were subjected to physical assault."

It was stated that the tension during the incident also caused pressure to be placed on municipal bureaucrats. Stating that the attitude of the police and other security units drew the reaction of the citizens, Kuşadası Municipality said: "The police are protecting the occupiers, not those who resist. The revelation that Aydın Governor Yakup Canbolat had no instructions regarding the practice in question confirmed the arbitrary nature of the intervention. The Kuşadası District Police Department teams, instead of protecting those trying to resist this shameful practice, are trying to facilitate the work of those who exhibit this ugly behavior, who are supporters of the ruling party. The attitude displayed by the security forces drew a great reaction from the citizens."

CHP Aydın Provincial Chairman Hikmet Saatçı said regarding the issue: "The AK Party's Aydın Metropolitan Mayor is tearing down the service tent set up by our Kuşadası Municipality in the municipal garden with an evening operation, regarding the eviction lawsuit filed against our Kuşadası Municipality's service building, in order to ensure that the process is not disrupted and that service to our people is complete and sustainable. We will follow this process to the end."

News Source: 12punto