ABTTF President: ‘‘As the Turkish community in Western Thrace, the voting potential of our community in the local elections was clearly understood, and as the Turkish community in the region, we demonstrated our strength in the local elections. No one can ignore, deny or underestimate the existence of the Turkish community in the region’’.
The second round of regional and local elections in our country Greece was held on Sunday, 15 October 2023. Since regional and mayoral candidates must receive 43 percent plus 1 percent of the votes in order to be elected in the first round, the mayoral elections in Arriana (Kozlukebir) and Myki (Mustafçova), where the Governor of the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace and the Turkish community of Western Thrace lives, and where the mayors belonging to the Turkish community of Western Thrace serve, were resumed at the second round.
While Christos Metios, supported by New Democracy, lost the election in the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace on Sunday, Christodoulos Topsidis, who ran as an independent, was elected as the new governor with 50.86 percent of the votes. A total of nine Turkish candidates were elected to the regional parliament this term from the prefectures of Rodopi and Xanthi.
In the second round, Erdem Hüseyin was elected as mayor in the Municipality of Arriana (Kozlukebir) and Ahmet Kurt was elected as mayor in the Municipality of Myki (Mustafçova)
Caner İmam, who received 55.72 percent of the votes in Iasmos (Yassıköy), where two Turkish candidates competed in the first round of elections on 8 October, was elected mayor.
In the second round, Erdem Hüseyin received 58.22 percent of the votes in the Municipality of Arriana (Kozlukebir) and became the new Mayor of the Municipality of Arriana (Kozlukebir). In the Municipality of Myki (Mustafçova), Ahmet Kurt became the new Mayor of Myki (Mustafçova) with 55.99 percent of the votes.
President of the Federation of Western Thrace Turks in Europe (ABTTF) Halit Habip Oğlu made the following statement: “When we look at the election results of the second round in the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, I think the message has been received. As we showed in the first round of parliamentary elections and afterwards, the regional and local election results also sent a clear message to the party in power. As the Turkish community in Western Thrace, the voting potential of our community in the local elections was clearly understood, and as the Turkish community in the region, we demonstrated our strength in the local elections. No one can ignore, deny, or underestimate the existence of the Turkish community in the region. I hope everyone reads these election results correctly and takes this into account going forward. As a result of the second round of elections, voters elected new mayors in Arriana (Kozlukebir) and Myki (Mustafçova). We congratulate the members of the regional parliament, mayors and municipal council members who were elected as a result of the elections and wish success to all those elected in their new duties’’.
*Image: www.anadoluimages.com
