17.08.2026 22:30
After the AK Party candidate won the acting mayoralty of the municipality that CHP had won in the 2024 local elections in Menderes, a striking statement came from the CHP headquarters. CHP Party Spokesperson Müslim Sarı stated that they had instructed council members to support the YENİ Party candidate Barış Gürsoy, and announced that a disciplinary process was being considered against members who did not comply with the instruction.
CHP Party Spokesperson Müslim Sarı made statements after Asuman Şen, the AK Party candidate, was elected in the Menderes Mayor Pro Tempore election. Sarı announced that the CHP General Headquarters instructed council members to support Barış Gürsoy, the YENİ Party candidate, to prevent the municipality from passing to the AK Party. He said that a disciplinary process is being considered for council members who did not comply with the instruction.
After the Mayor of Menderes district in Izmir, İlkay Çiçek, was arrested and suspended from duty, the Municipal Council convened an extraordinary session to determine the mayor pro tempore.
In the election with four candidates, the required majority could not be achieved in the first three rounds. In the final round, YENİ Party candidate Barış Gürsoy competed against Cumhur İttifakı's candidate Asuman Şen. Şen was elected Mayor Pro Tempore of Menderes by receiving 15 of the 27 votes.
Following the election, CHP Party Spokesperson Müslim Sarı shared striking information about his party's stance before the election in a statement on his social media account.
"WE GAVE INSTRUCTIONS TO SUPPORT THE YENİ PARTY'S CANDIDATE"
Sarı stated that the CHP General Headquarters gave clear instructions to council members to support the YENİ Party candidate to prevent the Menderes Municipality from passing to the AK Party.
Sarı said, "As our General Headquarters, we instructed our council members to support the New Party's candidate so that the Menderes Municipality would not pass to the AKP."
The CHP Spokesperson noted that the party is evaluating whether the given instruction was fulfilled and announced that a disciplinary process could be brought to the agenda for council members who did not comply with the instruction.
"THEY REJECTED OUR COMPROMISE REQUESTS"
Sarı, who stated that they had been conducting contacts for about a week for the mayor pro tempore election after the arrest of Menderes Mayor İlkay Çiçek, expressed that they were seeking meetings and compromise with council members who left the party.
Sarı argued that YENİ Party administrators and council members relied on their numerical majority and did not respond positively to CHP's compromise initiatives.
Sarı noted that for this reason, YENİ Party decided to field its own candidate, and despite the developments, the CHP General Headquarters instructed its own council members to support the YENİ Party candidate.
"DISCIPLINARY PROCESS FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT COMPLY WITH THE INSTRUCTION"
Following the election result, an evaluation process was also initiated within CHP. Sarı reported that the activation of party disciplinary mechanisms regarding municipal council members who were deemed to have voted differently despite the given instruction is on the agenda.
Sarı said, "Regarding our municipal council members who did not fulfill our instruction, the party disciplinary process is being evaluated."
HE HELD THE YENİ PARTY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE AK PARTY'S WIN
In his assessment of the election result in Menderes, CHP Spokesperson Sarı argued that the main reason for the AK Party candidate's win was YENİ Party's attitude during the election process.
Sarı claimed that YENİ Party administrators, who did not accept the CHP municipality staying with CHP, divided CHP, and acted relying on their council majority, mismanaged the process.
The CHP Spokesperson said, "The reason for the AKP candidate's win in the mayor pro tempore election in Menderes is the New Party administrators who did not accept a CHP municipality staying with CHP, divided CHP, and mismanaged the process by relying on their numerical majority."