10.07.2025 19:53
An interesting situation has emerged ahead of the vice president election due to the arrest of Manavgat Mayor Niyazi Nefi Kara and seven CHP council members in a bribery investigation. While the number of council members from the People's Alliance and the CHP has become equal, if the situation does not change by Monday, the new vice president will be determined by drawing lots.
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In the local elections on March 31, 2024, the CHP candidate Niyazi Nefi Kara won the Manavgat Municipality. The distribution of the municipal council is as follows: CHP 21, the parties forming the People's Alliance, AK Party 10, and MHP 6 members. Following the arrest of Mayor Niyazi Nefi Kara and 7 CHP municipal council members due to allegations of 'extortion, bribery, and embezzlement', the balance in the municipal council changed.
MAJORITY IN MANAVGAT FIRST SHIFTED TO THE PEOPLE'S ALLIANCE
Municipal Council member Mehmet Engin Tüter, who was caught red-handed with 110,000 euros in a baklava box along with Mayor Niyazi Nefi Kara, and council members Gülsüm Özer, Mehmet Çevik, Seval Öz Özgenç, Mehmet Tosak, Osman Coşar, and Mehmet Burak Çeker were arrested. After the arrest of Mayor Kara and 7 council members from CHP, the number of CHP members in the council dropped to 14. In this situation, the People's Alliance gained superiority with 16 members.
EQUALITY WAS ACHIEVED WHEN CHP MEMBERS RESIGNED
After the majority shifted to the People's Alliance, the CHP administration requested the resignations of the detained council members. Accordingly, detained members Mehmet Tosak and Mehmet Burak Çeker resigned on July 7. The District Election Board approved the two resignations on Tuesday, July 8, and CHP substitute council members took their places. The council distribution was equalized to CHP 16, People's Alliance 16. On the same day, the resignations of detained council members Osman Coşar, Seval Öz Özgenç, and Mehmet Çevik were also sent to the District Election Board. The two council members who also served as vice presidents, Mehmet Engin Tüter and Gülsüm Özer, did not accept the resignation.
CHP PROVINCIAL CHAIRMAN KAMACI: IT IS OUR LEGAL RIGHT
CHP Antalya Provincial Chairman Nail Kamacı stated that the resignations of 2 members have been approved, and they are waiting for the approval of the resignations of the other 3 members. Kamacı said, "We are also waiting for the approval of our other friends' resignations. This is our legal right." Kamacı did not comment on the two vice presidents who did not resign.
THE VICE PRESIDENT MAY BE DETERMINED BY LOTTERY
Following the Interior Ministry's decision to suspend Mayor Niyazi Nefi Kara, the Antalya Governorship decided that the election for a new vice president of Manavgat Municipality would be held on Monday, July 14.
CHP officials stated that if the resignation applications of the 3 members are not concluded by this date, the current situation for the vice presidency election is CHP 16, People's Alliance 16, and if both sides receive equal votes, the vice presidency election will be decided by a lottery. It has been learned that the CHP's candidate for vice president is Lawyer Mehmet Çiçek.
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