Scenes from the Aftermath of March 31 Local Elections Across Turkey

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The process of 2019 Local Elections is still continuing with objections and recounting of votes. As it is the local elections, a different face of local elections has also emerged across Turkey.

Here are some scenes from the aftermath of the local elections, ranging from a mayor burning his office chair after being elected to an opposition MP sleeping on the voting paper sacks...

'I don't have a passion for seat, I will burn it!'

Being elected the Mayor of Elbistan in Maraş from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), Mehmet Gürbüz swept the floor at the district square and burned a representative office chair. Gürbüz said that "he doesn't have a passion for seat or mayorship."

'There is no waiting, no censorship'

Being elected the Mayor of Amasya from the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), Mehmet Sarı had his office door removed as the first thing that he did after coming into office as the new mayor.

Sarı said, "There are no red lights, waiting or censorship with us. We said that just as you go to the house of your big brothers or relatives, you could also come here. We said that there would be no doors in our office. We took office and had the office door of the previous mayor removed. I will see who is wandering inside and they will see me as well."

'Being confused', he had the park removed

In the village of Yenidoğanlar in Alaplı, Zonguldak, after failing to be elected for another term, former village head Mehmet Akyol dismantled the children's park, which he himself had built a week ago.

In response to the backlash on social media, Akyol said, "The field where I had the park built belongs to the legal entity of the village. I deposed at the District Governorship after someone complained against me at the Communications Center of Presidency. Then, I was confused and had the park dismantled to correct my mistake. I did a mistake by removing the park."

'See you in local elections in 2023'

While the banners thanking the voters abound across the country, Zafer Öztaş, a neighborhood head candidate who failed to be elected, also hung banners at the square of the Zafer Neighborhood in Karapınar, Konya and said, "Thank you Zafer Neighborhood. It is apparently for the best. We are together in 2023 local elections as well."

Candidate against himself!

In the village of Mumcuoğlu in Devrek, Zonguldak, village head candidate Birol Özsoy did not receive a single vote. It is understood that neither he nor his family voted for Özsoy in local elections.

He won without being a candidate

In the village of Yoncaağaç in Hisarcık, Kütahya, İhsan Pektaş, who was the head of the village for two consecutive terms, did not become a candidate in March 31 local elections, stating that "he wanted to take a rest."

Though Pektaş did not run in elections, 116 voters from the village wrote his name on the voting papers. Receiving more votes than other candidates, Pektaş has been elected as the neighborhood head for the third term. He stated that he would continue his duty.

On the same seat after 32 years...

Photo: DHA

In the district of Avanos in Neveşehir, Celal Alper İbaş, who sat on the chair of the mayor of the time for April 23 Children's Day, has been elected the mayor from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) 32 years later and sit on the same seat as the mayor now.

Woman lied down in front of mayor

Being re-elected to the Metropolitan Mayorship of Gaziantep from the AKP, Fatma Şahin was met with a welcoming ceremony. During the ceremony, a woman lied down before her and wanted Şahin to walk through her. After the guards of Şahin made the woman stand up, she embraced Fatma Şahin.

'Come, watch duty is very comfortable'

This last picture shows CHP MP Mahmut Tanal, who posed on the voting paper sacks. Sharing this picture on Twitter, Tanal said, "I am on watch duty so that the votes in the ballot boxes are not changed upon objections in Ümraniye." (AÖ/HK/SD)