Allegations of threats during deputy mayor elections in Üsküdar

The election for deputy mayor of Üsküdar Municipality, held in the absence of the detained Mayor Sinem Dedetaş, has sparked controversy on the political agenda. In the election, where candidates from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Republican People's Party (CHP) competed fiercely, the winner was CHP's Sibel Tan Çetinkaya.

Immediately after the election, CHP Istanbul Provincial Chair Özgür Çelik brought allegations of irregularities and threats to the fore. Çelik stated that some council members were subjected to threats and operations, particularly before the third round of voting.

In his statement, Çelik used the following words: "The scene we encountered in the 3rd round was this: Through a sinister plan, between two operations, people were threatened with their families, threatened with their children. Our colleagues working here were threatened with various operations. Certain offers were made, certain figures were discussed, and in the 3rd round of voting, our candidate Sibel Tan Çetinkaya received 26 votes, the rival political party's candidate received 18 votes, and 5 invalid votes came into play here."

The distribution of votes in the third round drew attention; while Çetinkaya received 26 votes, the AKP candidate remained at 18 votes, and 5 votes were counted as invalid. This picture in the election caused discussions behind the scenes.

News Source: 12punto