AKP Deputy's Outburst: 'Either Build These Dams or Get Out'

A search is ongoing for Selahaddin Kaya, 68, and his son Mecit Kaya, 45, who have been missing since last night in Sakalar village, Artvin. Their relatives reported them missing to the gendarmerie, prompting a search operation by gendarmerie and AFAD teams in the region.

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The road to Şavşat, a paradise on earth, turns into a veritable road of death in the spring months. Our fellow citizens are condemned to a road below standard, and I am devastated by this situation.

During the search, Mecit Kaya's pickup truck, with license plate 08 DC 603, was discovered submerged in the Şavşat River near the Çifte Hanlar mevkisi, approximately 46 kilometers along the Artvin-Ardahan highway. Emergency teams, including AFAD, gendarmerie, medical, and underwater search and rescue units, were dispatched to the scene. After clearing the riverbank with heavy machinery, the vehicle was recovered from the water. However, the father and son were not found inside, leading the teams to expand their search efforts in the surrounding area.

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We have once again faced a tragic accident on the Artvin-Şavşat road today. Search activities for our two losses are continuing in the dam waters.

Şavşat District Governor Bayram Köse, Mayor Durmuş Aydın, and Provincial Disaster and Emergency Management Director Kemal Şenlioğlu are monitoring the situation. Governor Köse stated that the vehicle was last detected leaving Şavşat via the license plate recognition system. Investigations confirmed the vehicle plunged into the river at Çifte Hanlar. While the vehicle was retrieved, the occupants remain missing. Search operations are continuing along a 2-3 kilometer stretch of the river.

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The vehicle was recovered from the water, but the citizens inside could not be found.

Following the incident, AKP Artvin Deputy Faruk Çelik expressed frustration on social media, highlighting that the Artvin-Şavşat road becomes a "road of death," especially in spring. He pointed to the lack of new road construction due to ongoing dam projects. Çelik criticized the contractor, Energo-Pro, for not starting construction on three planned dams for 10 years, preventing new road development. He urged the company to either proceed with the dams or leave, and called on the Ministry of Energy to conclude the stalled dam construction process.

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Either build these dams or get out.