Umut Yılmaz, Gaziantep’s Şehitkamil district mayor of the main opposition party, the Republican People’s Party (CHP), announced his resignation on Tuesday from the party, along with other parliamentary members.
In a news conference in the southeastern province, Yılmaz said that he had shouldered his responsibility since his election in a transparent and fair manner, but that at this point, “personal interests, slanderous politics of those seeking profit and immoral conspiracies have paralyzed the municipal administration.”
“While struggling with the pressures, threats increasing day by day, campaigns to discredit and understanding that sees the municipality as a source for their interests, interference took place not only against me but also the will of the people of Gaziantep,” Yılmaz said.
“Certain vested interests established in the municipal council to make decisions against the interests of the people, artificial crises created to prevent service to the people, and conspiracies carried out by some deputies and some of our council members have now exceeded the tolerable level,” he added. “These developments are not only the result of political rivalry but also a moral and conscious collapse.”
He cited several incidents, some involving violence, and that the CHP Gaziantep municipality took no steps to protect the district municipality.
The incident occurred just days after the CHP held an extraordinary congress, and internal strife grew.