Following a 17-district preliminary election in Samsun, Yeni Parti’’s leadership race has triggered a formal dispute after security cameras inside an Atakum voting venue allegedly recorded delegates’ ballot choices, prompting an appeal to the party’s central board.
Yeni Parti completed its preliminary voting process across Samsun to determine its provincial leadership ahead of the upcoming 1st Ordinary Congress, with results pointing to a narrow margin across 17 participating districts. Mehmet Özdağ secured 3,999 votes, while his opponent, Turgay Özçelik, finished with 3,796 votes, establishing a 203-vote difference between the two contenders.
Mehmet Özdağ and Turgay Özçelik Split District Majorities Across Samsun
Voting participation drew thousands of registered party members to local ballots across the province’s 17 districts. While Mehmet Özdağ captured majorities in nine districts including his strongest showing in Atakum, Turgay Özçelik prevailed in eight districts, registering significant margins in İlkadım, Çarşamba, Tekkeköy, and Havza.
The regional distribution of votes showcased distinct geographic support bases for both candidates. Özdağ led the counts in Atakum, Bafra, Alaçam, Vezirköprü, Yakakent, Terme, Ayvacık, Asarcık, and Ladik. Meanwhile, Özçelik secured the most support in İlkadım, Çarşamba, Tekkeköy, Havza, Canik, Kavak, 19 Mayıs, and Salıpazarı. Özçelik’s strongest individual district showing occurred in Tekkeköy, where he won by 387 votes to 113.
Atakum Voting Venue Camera Footage Sparks Party Disciplinary Review
Controversy emerged immediately after the preliminary count centered on the Atakum Municipality Wedding Salon, where security cameras positioned inside the voting hall pointed directly toward the voting booths. The setup drew immediate comparisons by observers to reality television monitoring environments reminiscent of the program Biri Bizi Gözetliyor.
At this specific location, Mehmet Özdağ received 1,256 votes while Turgay Özçelik received 804 votes.
Challenged by the unexpected surveillance during a secret ballot, candidate Turgay Özçelik obtained the venue’s security recordings and shared the visual evidence with Amasya Deputy Reşat Karagöz, who had been appointed by the General Headquarters as the council president for the preliminary vote. Özçelik stated that he chose to file an official appeal and would await the final determination from the Central Executive Board while avoiding public remarks that could harm the organization.
Ensar Aytekin Directs Formal Objection to the Central Executive Board
In the presence of both candidates, Deputy Reşat Karagöz contacted Yeni Parti Deputy Chairman Responsible for Party Organizations Ensar Aytekin via telephone to brief leadership on the discovered footage and the integrity concerns raised at the Atakum ballot location.
Aytekin instructed local organizers to draft an official incident report and file a formal objection directly with the party’s Central Executive Board, known by its Turkish acronym MYK.
Murat Çan Issues Unity Appeal Following the Provincial Preliminary Vote
Amid discussions regarding the disputed venue, Samsun Deputy Murat Çan released a public evaluation emphasizing democratic maturity and internal solidarity across the provincial organization following the conclusion of the preliminary voting rounds.
There are no losers of elections in our understanding of politics. Our comrades in arms, who are the parties to a democratic race today, will struggle shoulder to shoulder for the same goal tomorrow. Murat
Çan extended his thanks to both candidates for their dedication throughout the campaign, while emphasizing that the collective focus must remain on addressing local challenges across Samsun and the nation.