The AK Party Gaziantep Deputy Mehmet Eyup Özkeçeci is in the news for taking earthquake aid to his own office.

The AK Party Gaziantep Deputy Mehmet Eyup Özkeçeci is reported to have "taken the aid sent by citizens for earthquake victims to his factory" following the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes on February 6.

AK Party Gaziantep Deputy Mehmet Eyup Özkeçeci is in the spotlight for taking earthquake aid to his own office. On February 6, 2023, Gaziantep experienced significant destruction due to the Kahramanmaraş-centered earthquakes. A nationwide aid mobilization began.

Citizens sent the aid they collected to the earthquake zone, but it has come to light that many aid materials, such as generators, electric heaters, and mobile phone chargers sent to Gaziantep, were taken to Mehmet Eyup Özkeçeci's factory named "Ünal Sentetik Dokuma," who was the AK Party Gaziantep Provincial Chairman at that time.

HABERLER.COM INVESTIGATED THE ISSUE

According to a report by BirGün newspaper, Özkeçeci, who left his position as Provincial Chairman after the earthquake and entered the Parliament as a Gaziantep Deputy, stated regarding the issue, "Yes, we took the aid to our factory. All of it was from civilian citizens. At that time, everyone opened their homes to store the aid. Our fair center was filled with aid, and then we opened our home (our factory). There is no aid left; we sent all of it to those in need."

In a special statement from AK Party Gaziantep Deputy Mehmet Eyup Özkeçeci's office in the Turkish Grand National Assembly to haberler.com, it was reported that he did not want to speak on this matter and that the allegations were unfounded.

CHP COUNCIL MEMBER REACTED!

Uğur Kalkan, a former CHP Council Member of Şahinbey Municipality, stated in his remarks, "In the February 6 earthquake, Gaziantep, especially the districts of İslahiye and Nurdağı, experienced significant destruction. All our citizens there faced difficulties in accessing their bread, water, stoves, and other electronic devices. While citizens were experiencing such difficulties and hardships, I do not find it right for aid materials to be stockpiled in the factory of the then AK Party Gaziantep Provincial Chairman while there were warehouses in some places in Gaziantep. Just as it is unethical for him to receive tenders while he was the provincial chairman and now as a deputy; it is also unethical for earthquake aid materials to be stockpiled in his factory." He questioned whether the authorities had any records on this matter and whether these materials were distributed or not.