29.10.2026 23:10
In the photo shared by Kartal Municipality from its council session, the revelation that the seat of AK Party Council Member Adem Yıldız was emptied has led to a photomontage crisis, while municipal sources argued that the incident was "staff negligence."
The council session photo shared from Kartal Municipality’s official social media account ignited a debate that resonated widely in public opinion. When the shared frame was compared with another photo from the same meeting, the difference that emerged raised the question of whether the post had been manipulated through montage or artificial intelligence.
THE EMPTY SEAT IN THE PHOTO BECAME A TOPIC
In the compared frames, the seat of AK Party IBB and Kartal Municipal Council Member Adem Yıldız, who was sitting in the third row from the front in the hall, drew attention. While one of the photos showed Yıldız sitting in his seat, the same seat appearing completely empty in the post made from the municipality’s official account aroused suspicion. Although the reason for this difference in the images has not yet been confirmed by an independent technical examination, the photomontage claim spread quickly.
HARSH REACTION FROM YILDIZ TO GÖKHAN YÜKSEL
AK Party Council Member Adem Yıldız, who claimed that he was removed from the photo through digital manipulation, reacted to Kartal Mayor Gökhan Yüksel through his social media account. Arguing that the situation was connected to budget criticisms, Yıldız said in his statement: "Everyone does what suits them! Mr. Gökhan Yüksel, you had me erased from the photo because I criticized your budget. If you cannot tolerate criticism, do not make speeches about democracy!"
"NO INTENT, STAFF OVERZEALOUSNESS"
After the incident, while no official written statement had yet been made by the Kartal Mayoralty, municipal sources stated that there was no institutional intent in the intervention in the photo. Evaluating the situation with the words "There is no intent in the incident. This photo is the result of an employee's overzealousness," sources conveyed that Mayor Gökhan Yüksel had instructed that the necessary investigation be carried out on the matter. With the approval and editorial process before posting becoming clear, the incident is expected to be clarified.