'Cemil Tugay' statement from Izmir Bar Association: 'The legitimacy of the administrative authority he holds has ended'

A statement was made by the Izmir Bar Association after Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Cemil Tugay switched to AKP.

In the statement titled "They go as they come", a call was made for Cemil Tugay to resign, saying, "If a manager settles in a position that is against the clear will of the people who elected him and the fundamental values ​​he represents, the legitimacy of the administrative authority he holds has ended."

The bar's full statement is as follows:

"The will expressed by the people of Izmir in the March 31 local elections was not just about the appointment of a single figure or political structure; on the contrary, it was a clear declaration of attitude against the accumulation of power, authoritarianism and the transfer of social resources to a narrow section.

Cemil Tugay's decision to join the central power structure, in direct contrast to the electorate that put him in office and the political values he claimed to represent; It cannot be considered as an individual choice.

The political power's strategy of drawing local governments into its sphere of influence through institutional pressure, economic dependence and systemic tools is a part of the mechanism of shaping the public's consent and rendering the opposition dysfunctional. Joining this power apparatus for personal and tactical reasons means rendering the social will reflected in the ballot box dysfunctional. The electorate has given the authority on the basis of certain principles and public interest; Abandoning these principles completely eliminates the legitimacy basis of the acquired authority.

Defending democratic principles and legal norms requires not remaining silent while institutions are being emptied. If a manager settles in a position that is contrary to the clear will of the people who elect him and the fundamental values he represents, the legitimacy of the administrative authority he holds has ended. What needs to be done at this point is to resign from that duty as a requirement of respect for the will of the people.

As the Izmir Bar Association, we stand by the law and the people's right to decide against the instrumentalization of social will in favor of power centers; "We announce to the public that we will continue to defend the public interest against institutionalized anti-democratic practices."