Van (Wan) Metropolitan Municipality co-mayor Neslihan Şedal and deputy speaker of the Municipal Council, Tuncer Sağınç, said that they will hold monthly council meetings to counter the corruption and plundering policies of the government-appointed trustee, affirming that they will not leave Van to its fate under the trustee’s rule.

The Van Metropolitan Municipal Council, which was unlawfully seized by Van Governor Ozan Balcı in February, held its March meeting under the leadership of co-mayors Neslihan Şedal and Abdullah Zeydan. During the session, council members discussed the unlawful practices of the trustee administration and the pressing issues facing Van.

No matter what, we will stand by our people!

Co-mayor Neslihan Şedal, in a statement to ANF, said that "despite the coup against the municipal council, the people have defended their will, and as elected officials, we are here to respond to their stance. Under the trustee’s rule, our people’s fate will no longer be determined by the words of a single individual. We say it clearly from here, no matter what happens, we have been elected for five years. Therefore, as part of our responsibility to our people, we will continue our struggle, and that is why we have convened the council today. No matter what happens, the people will be the winners, and the people of Van will prevail. In response to the will of the people, we will hold our council meetings every month from now on, and we will expose the corruption and unlawful practices of the trustee administration to the public."

The trustee will leave, and the people’s shall prevail!

Deputy speaker of the Municipal Council, Tuncer Sağınç, reaffirmed the commitment to convening the council every month and exposing the trustee administration’s usurpation and plundering. Sağınç said: "We have convened our council, and from now on, we will no longer allow the corruption and theft they have engaged in previously. The trustee policy is not sustainable for five years. We demand the immediate return of what belongs to the people, and this unlawful seizure must come to an end. In the meantime, we will work tirelessly to address the problems of our people. We will publish monthly reports on all municipal activities and keep our people informed.

Everyone should rest assured, this trustee policy has already failed. Since the day the trustee was appointed, we have stood with our people, and the public is deeply disturbed by these appointments. As soon as the trustee arrived, he brought a secretary general from Bursa, establishing a bureaucratic administration. Companies contracted for municipal work will also be hired from outside Van. This is not a governance model that aligns with the city’s cultural, ecological, or social realities, and they will leave and never return. During this process, we will stand with our people and continue our struggle for democracy. Our entire council group remains steadfast in their commitment to this cause."