Embattled Adana mayor ‘in the dark’ over call for resignation

Speaking to journalists after his party's parliamentary group meeting yesterday, Bahçeli said Durak and his colleagues who face serious accusations of extensive corruption in the municipality should resign from the MHP. Bahçeli demanded that the Interior Ministry carry out a thorough investigation. He said of the alleged crimes, “These fall into a moral field that the MHP can never accept or ignore.” He said the MHP had assigned a delegation to examine the case for the truth to come out. “The membership of these individuals in our party has been suspended as per MHP bylaws.

What I would like to see is the resignation of Mr. Mayor and the [city council member allegedly involved in the scheme] without leaving the need for a disciplinary investigation on our side.”

Durak himself made a statement yesterday, strictly denying the allegations. “I have never been involved in any dealing that I cannot account for,” he said.

He said he faced a smear campaign, noting that Mustafa Tuncel, the person who brought accusations against him, should have gone to the prosecutor’s office.

He said of Bahçeli’s call, “Of course, with so much slander, it is natural for our party’s leader to ask for his resignation.” He said he had nothing to hide. In response to a question on whether he would resign, Durak said: “Resignation is not the issue here. I am perhaps the oldest person in Turkey who has worked to end bribery. I have fought it my entire life. They should look at my past. There are no doubts about me. But God save one from this media,” he said.

Meanwhile, the MHP yesterday made an announcement saying Durak had asked for a meeting at the party’s general headquarters but had been denied a meeting for that would “not be necessary.” In another statement, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chairman Mustafa Elitaş accused the MHP and the Republican People’s Party (CHP) of not doing anything about the situation when they knew that Durak was corrupt. Elitaş said the party had doubts about some of his dealings that the AK Party had not chosen him again as a candidate but said the MHP had accepted him with no qualms. He said the CHP’s Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu had said he was going to announce the corrupt dealings of Durak prior to his party change. “Durak became a good man all of a sudden after leaving the AK Party. The CHP and the MHP set up a coalition.”

Meanwhile, Adana Chamber of Industry (ADASO) made a statement yesterday. ADASO Chairman Ümit Özgümüş said either Durak or the Financial Ministry chief inspector who in a report said Durak had acquired some of his assets illegally or unjustly had to go to jail. In a written statement he released yesterday, Özgümüş said in a report on Durak that the chief inspector of the Finance Ministry, Mustafa Uysal, wrote that Durak and his family did not have any significant assets prior to his election but became rich after he was elected. Özgümüş said the report’s conclusion stated that it was impossible for Durak to acquire so many assets from his income, noting that he had illegally or unjustly acquired assets. Özgümüş said: “If the inspector’s report is true, than Durak should go to jail. If the inspector’s findings are wrong, that is falsification of official documents and abuse of duty and then he should go to jail.” He also stated that he believed the developments will eventually lead to a “cleaning process” in Adana.

Adana Governor İlhan Atış also made a statement on the issue yesterday, saying a legal process has been launched into the allegations in the Adana Municipality. “The ocean doesn’t calm down before the waters stir up. I am guessing that the result will be very good for us.”

Allegations against Durak were first voiced by some members of the city council. According to this, the mayor had TL 50,000 in earnings and 500,000 square meters of land listed on his financial statement in 2001. In 2010 the mayor owned 1.8 million square meters of land while the cash in bank accounts under his name rose to $1 million. He said, “My wife is rich,” in response to the allegations.

The first allegation had come from Tuncel, known as the right-hand man of Durak, earlier this month. Tuncel claimed that Durak had $2 billion in assets, while Durak had denied this saying his assets amounted to $40 million. Durak called on Tuncel to press charges against him, saying he had done nothing wrong.

In an earlier statement, Durak also called on prosecutors to act and start an investigation. He also said, “Prime Minister [Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan knows how municipal officials engage in corruption. We don’t have anything to do with such things.”

Background on Durak

Durak left the AK Party prior to the 2009 March municipal elections and transferred to the MHP. He won the municipality seat for the fifth time, but his career has been rocked by allegations of corruption and has nearly been ostracized from his new party. MHP leader Bahçeli’s call for resignation from the party yesterday effectively ends his role in this party. Both the public prosecutor’s office and the Interior Ministry are looking into the allegations about Durak.

Durak is 72 years old. He is a graduate of İstanbul Technical University’s faculty of architecture and engineering. He worked for the State Waterworks Authority (DSİ) after his graduation. For some years, he worked as a contractor with his brothers. In the ‘70s, he was also elected as a city council member from the Justice Party (AP). He was first elected as the mayor of Adana in 1984 as a candidate of the Motherland Party (ANAP). He lost the election in 1989, but he was elected again in 1994 and 1999, first from ANAP and then from the True Path Party (DYP). In 2004 he was elected as a candidate of the AK Party. In 2009, he was re-elected as the MHP’s candidate.