Kayseri's Pınarbaşı District Election Cancelled After Opposition Objection
Deniz Yağan, Pınarbaşı's mayoral victor, amidst a whirlwind of electoral contention.
KAYSERİ — In the district of Pınarbaşı, located in the city of Kayseri, Türkiye, known for its dense Circassian and Abaza population, the mayoral election was annulled following objections from the Justice and Development Party (AKP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). During the local elections held last Sunday, the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate, Deniz Yağan, secured a win with 5,082 votes, narrowly defeating MHP’s candidate and incumbent mayor, Menduh Uzunluoğlu, who received 4,758 votes.
The announcement of the election results led to chaos in the courthouse, where Kayseri MP from the MHP, Baki Ersoy, was involved in a heated confrontation with election officials, including hurling insults at the district electoral board judge.
The cancellation of the election was announced today, based on the appeals made by the AKP and MHP. Feyzullah Keskin, the CHP’s Provincial Chair for Kayseri, described the cancellation as "a complete violation of justice," vowing to fight vigorously against the decision.
Deniz Yağan, the victorious CHP candidate, hails from Kazancık, one of the few Abaza villages in the region of Uzunyayla plateau in Pınarbaşı district. Born in Pınarbaşı in 1963, Yağan completed his primary education in Pınarbaşı and his secondary education at Kayseri Atatürk High School. He has previously served as the headman of Kazancık village and was the president of the Pınarbaşı Chamber of Agriculture between 2015 and 2019. Yağan, who is married with three children, is also involved in agriculture and livestock farming.
According to the decision of the District Election Board, a new election in Pınarbaşı is scheduled for June 2.
Feyzullah Keskin reiterated his criticism of the decision to annul the election, stating, “We are facing a complete disregard for justice. We will resist this injustice with all our might.” Keskin added, “They could not stomach our victory in what they claim as the homeland of MHP’s founder, Alpaslan Türkeş. Despite having signed protocols, they cancelled the election through political pressure, insults, and physical assaults. We strongly condemn this act and will appeal to the Provincial Election Board.”