AKP Kilis Provincial Chairman Zihni Serhan Diyarbakırlı resigned after audio recording allegations

AKP Kilis Provincial Chairman Zihni Serhan Diyarbakırlı resigned from his post after the voice recording claimed to belong to him was published on social media.

Arguing that the recording was edited and taken out of context, Diyarbakırlı stated that he initiated legal proceedings regarding the allegations.

The approximately 6-minute voice recording, which was spread on social media and claimed to belong to AKP Kilis Provincial Chairman Zihni Serhan Diyarbakırlı, caused public debate.

The recording included a conversation regarding the request of a woman whose place of duty was changed to return to her old place of duty.

After the discussions, Diyarbakırlı made a written statement and announced that he resigned from his post as AKP Kilis Provincial Chairman.

Defending that the recording was a montage, Diyarbakırlı said:

"I have been closely following the montage audio recording targeting me lately and the allegations made in connection with it. The necessary legal process regarding the content in question has been initiated by me, and I have full faith that the facts will be revealed clearly before the law."

However, I do not want this process to harm our political organization and party in which I work, and I do not want our organization to become a party to a debate over me. For this reason, in order to protect the reputation of our organization and to prevent the legal process from being overshadowed by political discussions, I have decided to resign from my position as AK Party Kilis Provincial Chairman of my own free will.”

“THIS DECISION DOES NOT MEAN THE ACCURACY OF THE CLAIMS”

Emphasizing that his decision to resign does not mean that he accepts the allegations, Diyarbakırlı continued his statement as follows:

"This decision certainly does not mean a step back, acceptance or the truth of the allegations against me. I am leaving my duty, but I do not abandon my righteousness, my legal struggle and my belief in our cause. My commitment to the leadership of our President and Chairman Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the AK Party and the ideal of service to our nation is as complete today as it was yesterday, and will continue with the same determination from now on.

I would like to thank all my fellow defendants, members of our organization and my valued fellow citizens with whom I walked shoulder to shoulder during my term of office. Positions and duties come and go; "The main thing is loyalty to the cause, service to the nation and our love for Turkey."

Diyarbakırlı stated that a legal process has been initiated against those who prepared, published and shared the recording and said, "We will not surrender to dirty politics. We will not bow to perception operations. We will not remain silent in the face of lies. We will not leave any initiative targeting our reputation unanswered."

WHAT HAPPENED?

It was claimed that in the audio recording shared on social media in Kilis, there were conversations about a woman whose duty had been transferred, wanting to return to her former position at the hospital.

In the recording allegedly belonging to Diyarbakırlı, the woman is asked: "How will you convince me?" to which the question was posed; It was claimed that the woman said that she would convince him by meeting him face to face.

In his first statement, Diyarbakırlı argued that the recording was "edited by certain groups and taken out of context."