Surprise acting mayor election in Adıyaman: AKP members vote for CHP candidate

A new phase has begun in the process at Adıyaman Municipality following the house arrest of CHP Mayor Abdurrahman Tutdere during a wave of detentions on July 5. A vote was held in the Adıyaman Municipal Council to elect an acting mayor to replace Tutdere, who was removed from office by the Ministry of Interior.

CHP'S UFUK BAYIR ELECTED WITH 22 VOTES

In the vote held in the Municipal Council, the CHP group's candidate, Ufuk Bayır, was elected acting mayor with 22 votes. The AKP's candidate, Ekrem Çadır, received only 9 votes. The number of votes Bayır received exceeded the CHP's current number of seats in the Council, revealing that some AKP and YRP members also provided support.

SURPRISE SUPPORT FOR CHP FROM AKP AND YRP MEMBERS

Another notable development in the election result was that one AKP council member and one YRP council member voted for the CHP's candidate, Bayır. 

Making a statement after the election, CHP Adıyaman Provincial Chair Engin Doğan said, "In Adıyaman, which was devastated by the February 6 earthquakes, the conscience of the public is still with Abdurrahman Tutdere. This election result is an indicator of this." Doğan described the process of Tutdere's removal from office as "political, not legal."

Doğan spoke as follows:

"This was Adıyaman's day of conscience. Just as March 30 was a day of conscience in the Adıyaman local elections, a public that was left orphaned and abandoned for 3 days showed a reaction.

The Republican People's Party with all its colors, other parties, political and apolitical individuals all united around Mr. Tutdere, and this nation, the people of Adıyaman, who were left orphaned for 3 days, gave a reaction, a response to the current government.

Now, after this usurpation of will, the election was held in the Municipal Council group today while Mr. Tutdere is under house arrest. And one New Welfare Party (YRP) member has already joined the Republican People's Party and completed their membership.

Then another member voted for the Republican People's Party candidate, Mr. Ufuk Bayır, today. A second New Welfare Party member. Apart from that, an AK Party, an AKP municipal council member also could not bear this injustice and unfairness and voted for the Republican People's Party candidate Ufuk Bayır."

MUNICIPALITY HAD PASSED FROM CHP TO AKP IN GAZİOSMANPAŞA

Following the arrest of Gaziosmanpaşa Mayor Hakan Bahçetepe, an election for acting mayor had been held in the municipal council. With the votes of the People's Alliance, which holds the majority in the council, the AKP's candidate Eray Karadeniz had been elected.

News Source: 12punto