Governor of Mardin Mustafa Yaman, who has been appointed as a trustee to Mardin Metropolitan Municipality by the Ministry of Interior for the second time, has responded to the allegation that in his previous term in office as a trustee, he gave almost 600 thousand lira worth of gifts to politicians, including President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu.

 

"No personal gifts were presented to our senior state officials who visited our province", Yaman has indicated in a series of messages posted on the official social media account of Mardin Metropolitan Municipality and added, "Symbolic gifts produced in our province and promoting the culture and history of our city were presented to the delegations who came to visit our city with our senior state officials."

 

Yaman has also rejected the allegations that the father of the owner of the silverware store in question has been appointed as a head of department. "The personnel named M. Ata Altun is retired and no new actions have been taken about him", Yaman has indicated about the issue.

 

In the messages posted by the municipality, it has also been stated, "Our Minister of Interior Mr. Süleyman Soylu has not paid any visits to Mardin Metropolitan Municipality as part of his program." The municipality has referred to the use of photographs taken during the visit of Soylu to shopkeepers in Mardin as "immorality".

 

"What draws attention regarding the news in question is that they aim to prevent activities of struggling against and preventing terrorism in Mardin and its vicinity, to create a perception to destroy the environment of peace and trust and to encourage terror supporters again", Mardin trustee Mayor and Governor Yaman has further stated in his messages.