Another Turkish main opposition mayor’s office furniture seized over municipal debts

In Mersin province, the belongings in the office of Tarsus District Mayor Ali Boltaç from the main opposition CHP were seized due to the non-payment of workers' severance pay, marking the second seizure imposed on CHP mayors.

Wednesday September 11 2024 09:20 pm

Duvar English

Foreclosure officers on Sept. 11 seized the furniture from the office of Tarsus District Mayor Ali Boltaç, a member of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) in Mersin province, due to the municipality's unpaid debts related to severance pay.

Speaking in front of the municipality, Mayor Boltaç stated, "Our municipality's legal department's three-month-long attempts at reconciliation were rejected by the attorney handling the execution files. Despite partial payments, the belongings in the mayor's office were seized with ill intent."

KAMUOYUNA ÖNEMLE DUYURULUR

11.09.2024 tarihinde Tarsus İcra Müdürlüğü Memurları, Avukat İsmail Gökmen eşliğinde Tarsus Belediye Başkanı Ali Boltaç’ın makam odamıza gelerek muhafaza işlemini uygulamak istediklerini bildirmişlerdir. Belediyemiz Hukuk Müdürlüğü tarafından 3 aylık… pic.twitter.com/gRIvB9FLS3
— Ali Boltaç (@aliboltac) September 11, 2024

Boltaç announced that the total debt was initially 5.48 million Turkish lira ($161,200), but due to being submitted for enforcement, it had “maliciously” increased to 10.8 million liras ($317,700).

"The municipality's request to make equal installment payments, considering that it had made equal payments to all workers eligible for severance pay, was also rejected, and enforcement proceedings were initiated," Boltaç said. "It is clear that the enforcement action carries malicious intent,” he added.

The mayor stated that the municipality have been unable to pay the interest on the debts and called for the interest to be waived and to restructure the payments.

He further noted that this debt was not from his term started with the 2024 local elections, but from previous periods.

On Aug. 21, the furniture in the office room of Antalya's Döşemealtı Mayor Menderes Dal from the CHP was also seized because the debt of approximately 100 million Turkish liras ($2.95M) to the creditor company was not paid.

Despite several mayors stating that the municipalities they took over after the 2024 local elections were heavily in debt, the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have intensified their attack against the opposition municipalities. This has been seen by some as retaliation for the ruling coalition's poor performance in the elections.