Voting has begun in the eventful Turkey Municipalities Union election

Voting has begun in the eventful Turkey Municipalities Union election

05.05.2026 04:02

The meeting held in Ankara before the election to determine the new administration of the Union of Municipalities of Turkey witnessed tense moments due to a scuffle that occurred. After the arguments quickly turned into a fight, the meeting was adjourned, but once order was restored, the election process continued and voting began.

The Union of Municipalities of Turkey (TBB) Assembly convened at a hotel in Ankara to determine the President, Assembly Presidency Council, Specialized Commission members, and Committee members. The opening of the meeting was conducted by TBB Deputy President and Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer. During the session, Denizli Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Bülent Nuri Çavuşoğlu's request to read a letter from the detained Ekrem İmamoğlu sparked controversy in the hall.

FIGHT BROKE OUT, PUNCHES FLY IN THE AIR

Tensions escalated as Sakarya Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Yusuf Alemdar headed towards the podium. With several other mayors also rising, the argument grew and turned into a fistfight. Shouts echoed through the hall, leading to a break in the meeting and the evacuation of the venue.

HALL EVACUATED

Following the fight, it was reported that the two candidates held a meeting in a conference room. However, tensions were noted outside the door during the discussion. Throughout the process, Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer and Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Fırat Görgel attempted to de-escalate the situation with their statements.

VOTING BEGINS

After order was restored, the mayors returned to the hall. It was announced that the election process would continue, and voting started at 14:30. It was observed that tensions occasionally flared up again in the venue.

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