Instruction from AKP district chair to Torbalı District Governor! They were disturbed by the playing of the İzmir March

Events that took place during the ceremony held in the Torbalı district of İzmir for the March 18 Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs' Remembrance Day have sparked reactions.

During the event, after the band played the İzmir March, AKP Torbalı District Chair Metin Yüğrük intervened and spoke with Torbalı District Governor Ercan Öter to ensure the march was not played.

Following this conversation, District Governor Öter sternly warned the band. Upon Yüğrük's request, the playing of the İzmir March was banned. Subsequently, band conductor Aytekin Özen resigned from his post.

(Metin Yüğrük)

Zafer Party Chairman Ümit Özdağ, who brought the scandal in Torbalı to the agenda, reacted to the AKP district chair and the Torbalı District Governor in a post on his social media account.

In his post, Özdağ stated, "Torbalı District Governor, why did the march that expresses the Turkish army's entry into İzmir and our martyrs disturb you? Are you a Greek sympathizer? Would you have preferred the Greek army to win? A day will come when you will be asked to defend this action of yours, which is disrespectful to the Turkish state and the Turkish nation."

İzmir Torbalı’da 18 Mart kutlamalarında belediye bandosu İzmir Marşını çalıyor. Protokolda bulunan AKP ilçe başkanı Torbalı kaymakamının kulağına bir şeyler söylüyor. Kaymakam çok sert bir şekilde bandoya müdahale ederek İzmir Marşının çalınmasını yasaklıyor. Bando şefi istifa… pic.twitter.com/pX3um8NCTg

— Ümit Özdağ (@umitozdag) March 18, 2024

The video shared by Özdağ included moments where Zafer Party İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayoral Candidate Naşit Birgüvi spoke with the band conductor.

Supporting the band conductor, Birgüvi reacted to the Torbalı District Governor with the words, "I support your rightful struggle. Mr. District Governor has come to the ceremony on the occasion of March 18. Even here, they are practicing 'taqiya' (dissimulation). The march you played is a march that represents the national feelings of the Turkish Nation, which won the War of Independence at the beginning of the 20th century. One must ask the District Governor: Whose district governor are you? You are serving as district governor with my money."

News Source: 12punto