Antalya Metropolitan Mayor tests positive for coronavirus

* Photo: AA

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Antalya Metropolitan Mayor Muhittin Böcek has announced that he has tested positive for novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Sharing a message on Twitter today (August 17), he has said, "I am in good general health now, my spirits are high. I am isolated in the hospital for control purposes."

Urging citizens to wear masks and observe hygiene and social distance rules, Böcek has shared the following message:

"My test for coronavirus has turned out to be positive today. I am in good general health now, my spirits are high. I am isolated in the hospital for control purposes. Please observe the rules of mask, hygiene and social distance. Wish to see you all in the shortest time possible..."

Bugün yapılan testte koronavirüs sonucum pozitif çıktı. Şu an durumum iyi, moralim yüksek. Hastanede kontrol amaçlı izole durumdayım. Lütfen maske, hijyen ve sosyal mesafe kurallarına uyun. En kısa sürede görüşmek dileğiyle...

— Muhittin Böcek (@BocekMuhittin) August 16, 2020

About Muhittin Böcek

Politician. He was born in Turkey's Mediterranean province of Antalya in 1962. Completing his primary, secondary and high school education in Antalya, he worked in the sectors of agricultural production and transportation. He studied Public Relations and Economics. He did his MA degree in Public Administration and Political Science.

He was the Chair of Motherland Party Central District Organization from 1994 to 1999, when he was elected the Mayor of Konyaaltı District from the Motherland Party. In local elections in 2004, he was elected again, this time from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP). He had been the Konyaaltı Mayor until 2019.

In this 20-year period, he served as the Chair of Mediterranean Municipalities' Union, the Chair of Western Antalya Tourism Protection and Improvement Area Infrastructure Service Union (BATAB), the Chair of Konyaaltı Tourism Education and Culture Foundation (KONTEV) Executive Board and the Chair of Konyaaltı City Council.

He penned a book on his 20 years in politics with the title "I am in love with this city" (Ben Bu Şehri Aşığım).

In the last local elections on March 31, 2019, he was nominated by the National's Alliance and elected as the Metropolitan Mayor of Antalya from the main opposition CHP. (TP/SD)