Fatalities, injuries amid local election disputes

ANKARA

Disputes preceding and during local elections have turned deadly as at least three individuals lost their lives and numerous others sustained injuries on March 31.

In the southeastern city of Siirt, one person was killed and four others were wounded in a clash involving firearms and stones between two groups amid voting activities.

The altercation during the voting process in the Konacık village of the city center left three individuals injured. One of the injured, identified as İhsan Altın, succumbed to his injuries while receiving medical treatment. Authorities have apprehended a suspect, launching an investigation into the incident.

Meanwhile, in a rural neighborhood of Diyarbakır's Sur district, one person lost his life and twelve others sustained injuries, two of them critically, in a violent confrontation involving firearms and stones. Emin Çelik, aged 44, passed away after sustaining gunshot wounds.

Medical teams faced challenges accessing the scene due to ongoing hostilities, necessitating the dispatch of reinforcement gendarmerie units to the area.

In a separate incident preceding the election, Yusuf Yiğit was fatally shot by his uncle's sons during an entertainment event in Bursa's Mustafakemalpaşa district.

Yiğit's purported support for a mukhtar (local head) candidate not affiliated with his relatives allegedly prompted the attack, resulting in his death and injuries to two others, including a 3-year-old child. Authorities are actively pursuing the suspects who fled the scene.

In Istanbul's Arnavutköy, a dispute erupted among the relatives of mukhtar candidates, escalating into a brawl within a schoolyard. Police and security personnel struggled to contain the situation, highlighting the intensity of the confrontations.

Similarly, in Düzce's Kiremitocağı neighborhood, law enforcement intervened using pepper spray to quell a skirmish among supporters of rival headman candidates. The altercation, which occurred at a primary school, resulted in several arrests as authorities worked to restore order.