Neighborhood head dismantles children’s park in rage over losing election

ZONGULDAK – Demirören News Agency

A former village head (“muhtar”) has dismantled a children’s park, which had been built during his term, after losing the elections on March 31.

Mehmet Akyol, who served as the head of Yenidoğanlar village of the Black Sea province of Zonguldak’s Alaplı district for 20 years, dismantled a children’s park in the village, which he got built only one week before the polls. He later dumped the park’s parts into a truck.

But once villagers reacted against Akyol’s behavior, the former village head put the parts back in their place.

“We have elected him for 20 years. Is this what should have happened when he lost [in the elections]? There is both losing and winning [in the elections]. We are very sad, our children have become very unhappy,” said Yasemin Çelik, a local.

Akyol claimed that he had destroyed the park after the owner of the land on which it was built had complained about the park. “I bought the children’s park with my own money,” he also said.

Meanwhile, another neighborhood head in the Black Sea province of Karabük has said he is heartbroken to have lost the March 31 local elections despite his innovative – if not absurd – promises.

“I have learned a lesson,” said Erol Gündüz, who ranked seventh in the election in the Yeni Mahalle neighborhood.

He vowed to offer voters free Umrah, an Islamic pilgrimage to the holy city of Mecca, besides gold coins and a washing machine. He had said he would hold a lucky draw for the “prizes” if elected.

Cihan Demirtaş won the election with 1333 votes, as Gündüz fell short with 404.

“I had got many votes in the past elections. But this time people who had promised to vote for me buried be to the ballot box,” he said.

“This election has helped me know who my real friends and enemies are.”