16.01.2026 21:40
An attempt was made to attack Didim Mayor Hatice Gençay in her office. In a written statement made by Didim Municipality after the attack, it was stated that the attack was carried out by Bilal Süren, the President of the Didim Association for the Protection of Animals and Nature, and it was noted that a legal process has been initiated regarding the matter.
On January 15, 2026, an attempt of verbal and physical assault was made against Didim Mayor Hatice Gençay by Bilal Süren, the President of the Didim Animal and Nature Protection Association, in her office.
Following the attack, a written statement was made by the Didim Municipality regarding the incident. The statement indicated that the assault was carried out due to the evacuation decision related to the area belonging to the Didim Animal and Nature Protection Association, and detailed information was provided about the evacuation process.
"THE MINUTES WERE SIGNED BY THE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT"
The municipality's statement included the following expressions: "On January 15, 2026, it became necessary to make a statement to accurately inform our public about the attempted verbal and physical assault that took place within our municipality. Regarding the area belonging to the Didim Animal and Nature Protection Association, located on 1109 Street, Olympic Avenue, Cumhuriyet Neighborhood, and covering approximately 1,800 square meters; an inspection was conducted on October 24, 2025, by the Didim District Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry and the Aydın Nature Conservation and National Parks Branch Directorate. During the inspection, it was noted that animal-loving associations could create a living space, but the area where the relevant association operates does not meet these criteria, and therefore, it was recorded that our beloved animals should be relocated to a suitable area for their health, safety, and welfare, and the area in question should be evacuated. This inspection report was also signed by the association president.
"ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT WERE OFFERED TO THE ASSOCIATION"
We would like to emphasize, for the accurate information of the public, that the relevant association has no ownership, allocation, or usage permission regarding the area in question. The area is designated as green space in the zoning plans and is being occupied and used unlawfully by the association. Despite a long time passing since the evacuation process, the obligation has not been fulfilled. In this regard, our municipality, without resorting to any coercive action, offered assistance and support to the association on December 23, 2025, to ensure that our beloved animals can live in healthy, safe, and suitable conditions. This offer was accepted by the association president. In this context, our municipality teams assisted in the dismantling of the association's materials and provided support for the relocation process to the area located at parcel 118 of island 3028 in Denizköy Neighborhood, as shown by the association president.
"THREATENING STATEMENTS WERE MADE"
However, despite all of our municipality's good faith efforts and collaborative approach, association president Bilal Süren attempted to assault our mayor in her office. On January 15, 2026, around 15:15, the individual who came to the mayor's office entered the secretary area and addressed, "Where is Hatice?" Despite being informed that our mayor was in a meeting, he attempted to force his way into the office. During the security personnel's efforts to prevent his unauthorized entry, he kicked the door and used insulting language such as 'Bandit Hatice' and made threatening statements like 'I will not let you sit in that chair.'
It is known that this individual has previously attacked the cameras belonging to our municipality, made unfounded claims and misleading posts about our mayor and our institution, and has been trying to occupy the public's attention and mislead them by continuing these actions under the name of the association.
"EVIDENCE REGARDING THE PROCESS WILL BE SHARED WITH THE PUBLIC WITHIN THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK"
All images, documents, and camera recordings related to the incident have been submitted to the law enforcement agencies, and a legal process has been initiated. It is unacceptable to bring personal issues to the public under the guise of association identity and to attempt to create perception in this way. Our municipality will fully exercise its legal rights against individuals and media outlets that publish news that do not reflect the truth, both regarding this attempted assault and intentional and biased publications. Evidence related to the process will be shared with the public within the legal framework.
Our municipality will continue to work in good faith for the health, safety, and welfare of our beloved animals, as it has until now, and will continue to cooperate with civil society organizations that genuinely consider the public interest. However, approaches that attempt to create public opinion under the name of the association by pursuing personal issues will not be tolerated."