As the AKP continued with the trustee policy that it had put into effect in 2016, eyes turned again to the practices of the trustees. In Êlih (Batman), where the will of the people has been usurped for three terms with the trustees appointed yesterday after 2016 and 2020, the trustees have plunged the municipality into debt. Ekrem Canalp, the city governor appointed as trustee to replace Songül Korkmaz and Mehmet Demir, the co-mayors of Êlih Municipality elected from the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), left the municipality with a debt of 3 billion 53 million 977 thousand 75.91 Liras. 

 

KURD AND KURDISH ENMITY 

 

The first action of Governor Hulusi Şahin, the trustee appointed to the municipality on March 23, was to remove the Kurdish language option from the municipality's website. On June 21, 2022, the trustee removed the bust of Kurdish poet Cegerxwîn, which had been placed in the Kine Em Park in Fatih neighborhood in 2007, and continued his practices by removing the Kurdish traffic warning signs “pêşî peya / pedestrian first”. The area where the Yılmaz Güney Movie Theater was burned down after it was closed down by the trustee was converted into a park. Under the orders of the trustee, the activity of young people wearing Amedspor jerseys and playing Kurdish music on Gülistan Street on March 9 last year was prevented by the police. 

 

JOB OPPORTUNITIES FOR AKP MEMBERS 

 

The trustee appointed AKP Siirt Provincial Youth Branch Chair İbrahim Bedük as the Director of Private Secretariat on June 30, 2021, while his deputy Adnan Yörük and his daughter Sena Yörük were hired by the municipality in January 2021. Metin Gürbüz, the husband of Adile Gürbüz, who was once the deputy provincial chairperson of AKP Batman and a parliamentary candidate from AKP in the 2015 elections, was also appointed as an assistant trustee shortly after being hired without an exam.

 

INFRINGEMENTS FOR FOLLOWER

 

Of the 77 infringements between March 2020 and January 2021, 37 were open infringements and 40 were 21 f-21 b (negotiated). In the first five months of 2021, 93 infringements were held in total. Of these, 62 were open infringements and 31 were made with 21 f- 21 b. In 2022, 69 of them were made through bargaining procedure and 85 through open infringement procedure. Irregularities in purpose and non-service infringements caused controversy in the city. On December 3, 2021, 2 million 361 thousand Liras was spent on lighting the trees on Diyarbakır Street. On September 22, 2021, 690 thousand Liras was spent for the signboard written “Batman, the modern city of ancient lands” placed at the entrance of the city. The trustee also spent 1 million 550 thousand Liras for the purchase of flags, posters and pennants in December-February 2022. Êlih Municipality was plunged into debt by the trustee, who awarded 3 separate tenders worth 34 million 340 thousand Liras to BTM Gurme in 2 years.  

 

CHATTELS REAL PUT UP FOR SALE

 

In May 2021, 825 thousand Liras was spent on image work, and spot videos shot were served to partisan TV channels as “news”. In 2021, when there were curfews due to the pandemic, 500 thousand Liras was spent from the municipality's coffers for “events” to be organized during the month of Ramadan. 

The trustee even put 11 chattels real and a public road up for sale. Among the chattels real put up for sale are many places such as kindergarten, children's playground, library, study center, fire brigade center, women's guest house, elderly chat house, which were planned as social reinforcement areas during the HDP period. The trustee put the Wheat Bazaar with 116 shopkeepers up for sale. However, there was no participation in the tender and the sale did not take place. Batman Park Shopping Mall, the municipality's largest chattels real, which was valued at 635 million 375 thousand Liras by the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) Êlih Provincial Coordination Board (İKK), was sold to Golden Park A.Ş., of which AKP Provincial Chairman Akif Gür is a member, for 150 million Liras. As a result of the reactions, the decision was canceled.   

 

BUDGET SPENT ON OTHER INSTITUTIONS

 

Even the Education and Research Hospital, Police Chief's Mansion, Beşiri District Governor's residence, MİT, landscaping around the Directorate of Environment and Urbanization, and roads and sidewalks inside the commando, which are not within the service area of the municipality and whose funds are covered by other ministries, were paid from the municipal budget. The trustee also awarded the Provincial Police Headquarters Additional Service Building to Knossos Yol Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Şirketi Maze Petrol İnşaat Elektrik Elektronik Nakliyat Hizmet Alımı Konfeksiyon Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Şirketi Business Partnership for 6 million 283 Liras from the municipal budget.

 

TRUSTEE CHANGED BUT RENTS REMAINED UNCHANGED

 

Governor Şahin was replaced by Ekrem Canalp on May 12, 2022. Canalp committed many irregularities in the city where he served as a trustee until March 31, 2024. 

 

With a decision taken on December 6, 2022, the trustee opened a large area including Girêsîra town, Selivê village, Girbereşk neighborhood and Êlih Stream for development. In line with the decision passed by the appointed Municipal Council, it was decided to establish an Organized Industrial Zone (OIZ) on the banks of the Êlih Stream. 

 

On November 19, 2023, heavy rain flooded many houses in Seyitler Neighborhood because the water channel close to the residential area was covered with concrete. Due to this negligence, Lalihan Güner (54) and her grandchildren Asenat (1), İsrafil (5) and Birgül Güner (9) lost their lives. 

 

SPECIAL PARCEL FOR AKP CANDIDATE 

 

 

 

 

For the program to be attended by the wife of trustee Governor Ekrem Canalp, the municipality has imposed attendance obligation on the municipality staff. A letter was sent to all departments of the municipality for Canalp's wife Ayten Canalp, who will attend the “Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women” program at Necat Nasiroglu Complex on November 30, 2023, and they were asked to attend the program. 

 

The trustee held a tender for AKP mayoral candidate Adil Sebati Ceylan. 72 thousand food parcels were purchased in the tender held on March 22. The tender was awarded to Akçay Yolcu Taşımacılığı İç ve Dış Ticaret Limited Şirketi and the distribution period was March 22-31. The tender was awarded for 53 million Liras. 

 

TRANSFER OF CHATTELS REAL TO THE POLICE

 

AKP was once again defeated in Êlih, which was under the rule of trustees for 2 terms. The Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) candidates won the elections. Êlih Co-Mayor Gülistan Sönük, who was dismissed today by the Interior Ministry, drew attention to the destruction in the municipality in her speech after her election. Sönük described what happened as follows: “4 doblo and 1 fiorino vehicles were donated to the Social Assistance Foundation of 5 districts. The total price is 3 million 216 thousand 666 Liras. Two 4x4 pickups with a total value of 1 million 595 thousand Liras were allocated to the Provincial Special Administration and Forestry Directorate, a pickup truck with a total value of 400 thousand Liras was allocated to Bekirhan Municipality through the Cemetery Directorate, 4 public transportation buses were allocated to Balpınar, Beşiri Sason Municipalities and Batman Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism. 5 million Liras was transferred to Batman Provincial Police Department for 6 vehicles and 5 million Liras was transferred to Batman Provincial Gendarmerie Command for 5 vehicles.” 

 

TRANSFER OF OTHER CHATTELS REAL

 

Sönük listed the transferred chattels real as follows: “3 municipal lands were transferred to the Provincial Directorate of Culture with parliamentary decisions and protocols for the library to be built. The construction cost is 139 million Liras. Green Library (to be built in Istiklal Park) contract cost is 43 million 160 thousand Liras. 70 million Liras budget was allocated for the construction of 1 Barrier-Free Life Center, which was built on municipal land and decided to be allocated to the Family Social Services Directorate. The asphalt season was delayed due to the lack of maintenance and repair at the asphalt plant facility, the maintenance cost was 1 million 5 thousand Liras, 15 thousand 122.89 square meters of the National Garden was transferred to the Treasury of Finance due to the municipality's debts to the tax office.  The Civil Society Center project was tendered by the municipality and it is not clear which institution will be allocated after the construction is completed. The tender cost is worth 76 million Liras.”