08.08.2026 12:40
New Party Deputy Group Chairman Gökhan Günaydın, reacting to the arrested Erdal Beşikçioğlu, said, "The man uses drugs. The mayor uses them, your deputy mayor uses them. What's going on, folks? How are you even fulfilling your public duties? I cannot say 'this is his private life.' If you enter politics, there are conditions to politics. You must act accordingly. Isn't it our right to expect a person to keep themselves in order, both in their private and public life?"
Gökhan Günaydın, Deputy Chairman of the NEW Party Group, made assessments regarding the arrest of Etimesgut Mayor Erdal Beşikçioğlu and the subsequent drug test that came to the agenda.
Günaydın argued that drug use cannot be explained solely by a politician's private life, stating that individuals undertaking public duties carry a different responsibility.
Günaydın said, "The man is using drugs. The mayor is using them, your deputy mayor is using them. What's going on, folks? How are you actually performing your public duties?"
"I CANNOT SAY THIS IS HIS PRIVATE LIFE"
Continuing his criticisms of Beşikçioğlu, Günaydın argued that individuals entering politics should also behave in their private lives in accordance with the responsibility required by their duties.
Günaydın said, "I cannot say this is his private life. If you enter politics, there are conditions of politics. Especially the conditions of today's politics. You must act accordingly. Isn't it our right to expect a person to keep themselves in check for both their private and public life?"
OPERATION AGAINST ETIMESGUT MUNICIPALITY
Within the scope of the investigation against Etimesgut Municipality, Mayor Erdal Beşikçioğlu was detained on July 30. In a statement after the operation, Günaydın had also criticized the timing of the investigation, drawing attention to the operations against the Çankaya and Etimesgut municipalities following the appointment of a new Chief Public Prosecutor for Ankara.
In the further stages of the investigation, an arrest decision was made for Beşikçioğlu. It was reported that following his arrest, Beşikçioğlu was transferred to Konya Closed Prison.
DRUG TEST CAME BACK POSITIVE
Information that blood, urine, and hair samples were taken from Beşikçioğlu within the scope of the investigation was reflected in the public. In reports based on IHA, it was stated that as a result of the examinations, Beşikçioğlu's drug test came back positive for cannabis.
In Gökhan Günaydın's latest statement, it was notable that he directly reacted to this development, arguing that drug use cannot be considered within the scope of "private life" for a politician holding public office.
Günaydın had previously made statements criticizing the investigation process regarding Beşikçioğlu's arrest and the timing of the operation. Thus, while Günaydın continued his criticism of the political and legal aspects of the investigation, he also clearly criticized the result that emerged regarding drug use.