25.11.2025 16:10
During the November meeting of the Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Council, the discussion regarding the order of agenda items and procedures brought Aydın Metropolitan Mayor Özlem Çerçioğlu face to face with Kuşadası Mayor and CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ömer Günel.
Özlem Çerçioğlu, the Mayor of Aydın Metropolitan Municipality, who has been at the center of political agenda since her transition from CHP to AK Party, has once again come to the forefront with a debate that took place in the municipal council. The November meeting of the Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Council was held under the chairmanship of Çerçioğlu.
THE TENSION ROSE
The meeting, which began with the reading of the summary of the minutes, discussed the Analytical Budget of the Metropolitan Municipality for the year 2026 and the allocations to be distributed to the directorates and units. During the budget discussions, the tension rose due to objections regarding the order of agenda items and procedures.
SLAMMING THE TABLE AND ASKING "LUXURY LIVING" QUESTION
The most heated moment of the meeting occurred between Çerçioğlu and the Mayor of Kuşadası and CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ömer Günel. During the debate, an agitated Çerçioğlu slammed her hand on the table and stated, "I will ask this. How does a district mayor live such a luxurious life with a salary of 100,000 TL?" Çerçioğlu's outburst caused a brief silence in the hall, while the atmosphere in the council chamber became even more tense as the debate continued.
DEBATE ON ORDER AND PROCEDURE
CHP council members reacted, stating that the items from the Planning and Budget Commission were moved to the agenda in a reordered manner during the November meeting of the Aydın Metropolitan Municipality Council. Rıza Yörüyen, the Chairman of the Planning and Budget Commission, expressed that the agenda items, except for the first four, did not align with what was passed in the commission. The "order and procedure" debate conducted over the agenda order hindered the healthy progress of the meeting and led to the session being unable to be completed.
CHP MEMBERS OBJECT TO AGENDA ORDER
CHP council members argued that there was an intervention in the agenda order determined by the commission and opposed President Çerçioğlu's rearrangement of the items. They stated that moving some items related to the budget and affiliated organizations forward or backward created issues in terms of council operations and customs, declaring that the change was unacceptable.
AK PARTY SAID "NO MISTAKE"
AK Party spokesperson and Köşk Mayor Nuri Güler emphasized that the council president has the authority to determine the agenda order. Güler defended that the implementation was in accordance with the legislation, stating, "There is no procedural error." Güler's remarks led to rising objections from the CHP ranks, and the debate continued for a while longer.
"CHP AGAINST SERVICE" POLEMIC
During the debate, Kuşadası Mayor and CHP Group Deputy Chairman Ömer Günel harshly criticized President Özlem Çerçioğlu. Günel claimed that Çerçioğlu had become unable to manage the council. Çerçioğlu, in turn, attacked the CHP group, stating, "The CHP Group has shown that it is against service. I vote on the items related to ASKİ and the Metropolitan Municipality as they came from the commission. But we see once again that the CHP is against service." Following these remarks, reactions rose from the CHP ranks, and the tension in the council did not subside for a while longer.