Reactions continue regarding Mehmet Begit, who resigned on April 29 after being elected from the People's Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) in Riha's (Urfa-Southeastern of Turkey) Bêrecûk (Birecik) district. It turned out that DEM Party Municipal Council member Ahmet Arar, whom Begit claimed had "resigned", did not resign. In the press conference he held with media organizations close to the government on April 29 from the Municipal Service Building, Begit claimed that there was an attempt to interfere with "the Turkish flag, the Atatürk poster and the poster of AKP Chair and President Tayyip Erdoğan." With this claim, he announced that he and DEM Party municipal council members Mahmut Dirier, Sakıp Yaşar, Reşit Çelikhan and Ahmet Arar resigned from the party.

It was learned that Ahmet Arar, who was present at the press conference and claimed to have resigned, did not resign and was not aware of the content of the press conference.

 

Arar shared how he attended the press conference and what happened to Mezopotamya Agency (MA).

 

Arar, who stated that he was taken to the meeting by Begit saying "we will hold a press conference, stand with us" and that he learned during the meeting that it was about resignation, reacted after the meeting and stated that he switched to the DEM Party. Stating that the allegations of "interference with flags and posters", which Begit gave as a reason for resigning but did not show any concrete evidence in the past 10 days, are not true. Arar noted that the real reason for resignation was not allowing profit and theft. Arar stated that Begit, who forced him to resign after the press conference, said that he would help him financially and morally if he resigned.

 

'I DID NOT RESIGN'

 

Underlining that Begit did not inform him that the press conference was about resignation. “I am one of the four people with whom Mehmet Begit claimed to have resigned. I did not resign. Mehmet Begit never talked to me or explained the situation to me" Arar said.

 

Stating that Begit tried to persuade him to resign after the press conference, Arar said: “He made an offer to 4 different friends besides me and they did not accept either. The 3 people who accepted resigned along with him. He said that if we resigned, he would give us the best job in the municipality. He couldn't convince. So I tried to persuade him to give up. I suggested him not to publish the press release, and I said I did not accept it. Then I left the municipality and went to my party. I continue on my way with my party, I am a party member and I will never give up on my party."

 

'WE COULD NOT ALLOW RENT'

 

“Mehmet Begit stole the will of 22 thousand people” and added, “We want his resignation. Begit should resign as soon as possible. There is no such policy. "It is necessary for Mehmet Begit to resign from the mayor's Office." Arar said.

 

Emphasizing that thousands of people contributed to winning the election, Arar countinued as follows: “We worked together during the election process, and we were tired. We went from village to village, door to door. I told him not to waste the efforts of these people, but I could not convince him. He claimed that the Turkish flag, Atatürk and Erdoğan posters were being interfered with, but these are not true. After March 31, no one said a word about these allegations. He says, 'I have video and audio recording,' but this is not true. Nothing like that definitely happened. The real reason he resigned is that we did not allow the zoning change plans he wanted to implement. He resigned because the council members did not give him the powers. We did not and could not allow profiteering and the public to sell what happened."

 

MA / Emrullah Acar