AKP members in Mardin municipal council attacked after supporting HDP motion

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A motion that the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) submitted to the Artuklu District Municipal Council in Mardin, southeastern Turkey, was approved with the support of a council member from the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The motion was about the financial supervision of the municipality.

After the vote, supporters of Mayor Abdülkadir Tutaşı, who is also an AKP member, battered the AKP members of the council, according to a report by the Mesopotamia Agency (MA).

The AKP has 21 members in the council, including the mayor, and the HDP has 11 members.

The HDP's motion was accepted, with some AKP members abstaining from the vote and one AKP member voting in favor of the motion.

After the vote, the mayor said he didn't recognize the vote and a group of people supporting him threatened and battered the AKP members of the council.

According to the motion, a certified public accountant and an official with the Financial Offices would accompany the municipal council's commission for financial supervision, which comprises three AKP and two HDP members.

Mehmet Ali Amak, the HDP's spokesperson at the municipal council, said after the incident that Tutaşı wanted to "sabotage" the financial supervision of the municipality. (AEK/VK)