The Mayor of Birecik and Members of the City Council Resigned from Their Parties

The Mayor of the Birecik district of Şanlıurfa from the DEM Party and 4 council members announced their resignation from the party.

Reason for Resignation: External Interventions

Mehmet Begit, who won the mayoralty of the Birecik district of Şanlıurfa in the local elections on March 31 from the DEM Party, along with council members Mahmut Dirier, Sakıp Yaşar, Reşit Çelikhan, and Ahmet Arar, resigned from their party. Begit, announcing their resignation reasons in a press release, stated that they will not accept external interventions.

“They Want to Manage the Municipality Externally”

Claiming that the municipality is being attempted to be managed externally, Begit said, “I thank you infinitely for the support you gave me in the mayoral elections held on March 31, 2024. This election is the mayoral election with the most distinct votes on the election date. Our people believed in us and trusted us. With this belief, we started our duty. First and foremost, it should be noted that the words I am about to say are in no way related to the DEM Party members who trusted and voted for us; however, especially in the period after the election, it is not possible for us to accept the interventions attempted on our flag, Atatürk poster, and President’s poster by a particular group. Also, pressures began to emerge regarding external management in the period after the election. I am a candidate to govern our district Birecik with the people of Birecik. Only the people of Birecik govern the district of Birecik. I am determined in this regard. No will is above the will of the people. For these reasons, I am resigning from the DEM Party with 4 council colleagues. I continue my duty as the Mayor of Birecik independently with my council colleagues. We are at the disposal of the people of Birecik,” he said.