Sending a letter from prison ahead of the critical election at Üsküdar Municipality, Sinem Dedetaş reacted to the recent developments and called on council members to uphold their will.
Following the arrest and suspension of Üsküdar Mayor Dedetaş on July 31, Sibel Tan Çetinkaya had won the election held on August 5. Upon the objection of AKP council members, it was decided to repeat the election. Before the repeated election, 4 CHP council members switched to the AKP, while 2 council members were arrested. In tomorrow's vote, 21 council members each from the CHP and AKP will cast their votes.
In her letter, which was read to the people of Üsküdar gathered in front of the Üsküdar Municipality building and published on her social media account, Dedetaş stated the following:
"My dear neighbors, you did not leave us alone! I greet you all with respect and embrace you with love; may you be well! I have been separated from you, all my loved ones, and ancient Üsküdar for 40 days. As if this were not exhausting and sad enough, I learned with great sorrow that two more of our dear council members have been arrested, purely for the sake of political calculations. I have no doubt that we share the same feelings.
I want to give a heartfelt round of applause to both Amine Cansu Çelik and Ekrem Baki for standing up for the national will and maintaining an honorable stance, even at the cost of being separated from their children!
I also want to give a round of applause for our imprisoned Deputy Mayor Filiz Deveci, who has been in jail for 5 months and worked tirelessly on all urban transformation processes in Üsküdar, especially the lapsed zoning plans, and for all our imprisoned colleagues.
Together with my valued colleagues and the veteran employees of our municipality, we achieved many firsts in the history of Üsküdar Municipality. But for me, one of the most important was ensuring equal representation of women in senior management. As you know, Üsküdar is the district of the sultans. It is a very precious district. We worked with all our love and attention to produce services worthy of it and of you.
As women of the Republic, following in the footsteps of our Great Leader, we worked by prioritizing public interests, never abandoning political courtesy, valuing people because they are human, and without being involved in any political ambition or scheme. I thank all my colleagues, both men and women, especially our female employees, from the bottom of my heart for their efforts.
Although the disproportionate injustices we have faced at this point hurt us deeply, it is a great honor for us to serve Üsküdar and you, and to have earned your trust and love.
I said it before, everyone does what suits them. As elected officials who believe in the national will, democratic rights, and the rule of law, we have not abandoned our principles. Those who have abandoned them are condemned to the burden of your conscience and our hearts. We are no one's scapegoat!!
News Source: 12punto
