First statement from Vahap Seçer after his arrest: 'Mersin is not abandoned'

Mersin Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Vahap Seçer made a statement on his social media account after his arrest.

Seçer argued that the arrest decision was an intervention not only to himself but also to the will of the people of Mersin expressed in the elections. Seçer said, “Mersin is not abandoned.”

Vahap Seçer's message is as follows:

“Dear Citizens,

Today, there has been a serious intervention not only against me but also against the will of the people of Mersin who showed up at the ballot box on March 31. I do not accept this intervention into Mersin's will. The democratic will of this city, where approximately 2.5 million people live, cannot be ignored; Mersin's future cannot be shaped outside the free will of the people.

I have undertaken this duty, which I have undertaken with your will, with great responsibility and honor since 2019. Where I am today cannot change my responsibility to Mersin or my promise to you.

We believe in law, justice and the conscience of our nation. Our heads are high, our conscience is clear. We will defend our righteousness before the law until the end.

My fellow citizens should know this: