AKP mayor defends nepotism: People do way worse, what's 5 people?

A district mayor from the ruling AKP defended their nepotistic hiring of five people by saying that others practice way worse examples. "Is five people too much for us?" said Palu District Mayor Bekir Yıldırım.

Wednesday September 29 2021 01:10 pm

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Palu District Mayor Bekir Yıldırım from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) defended his nepotistic hiring of five people he is close with by saying that others do way worse, Günışığı daily reported on Sept. 28.

The Palu district of eastern Elazığ opened up a posting for five workers, but applicants were told not to bother applying, as the persons who would be hired were already determined.

"Persons named by the mayor and municipal council members will be hired. There will be interviews for show. Anyone besides the five named will be extras," said the municipal employees in charge of hiring.

Young Palu residents reportedly protested the blatant practice of nepotism, as even the mayor told the public to "not bother" applying.

When confronted about the incident, the district chair of the AKP claimed that the nepotistic hiring was outside his jurisdiction and that he didn't "have the authority to prevent this lawlessness."

The district chair also criticized the malpractice, but the district mayor confirmed the illegal practice and said that the public's protest was "unnecessary."

"What are we supposed to do, shoot people for hiring five workers? People do way worse, is it too much when we hire five people?" Yıldırım said.

The district mayor also claimed that the hiring of the five people they named had been carried out legally and with the necessary legal permissions.