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AKP Youth Wing Chairman Resigns After Sharing Photo of Million-Dollar Rolex
🇹🇷 Turkey /Crime & Justice

AKP Youth Wing Chairman Resigns After Sharing Photo of Million-Dollar Rolex

From Cumhuriyet · () Turkish

Translated from Turkish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Outcome reported
  • Mahmut Mert Çelik, the AKP Denizli Youth Wing Chairman, resigned after facing backlash for posting a photo of a Rolex watch he claimed was a gift.
  • Çelik stated the watch was a gift from a contractor named Mehmet Kalyoncu, but a misunderstanding arose due to a name similarity with a Kalyon Holding board member.
  • The Kalyon Holding board member denied any involvement, clarifying he has the same name as the contractor who gifted the watch.

Mahmut Mert Çelik, the chairman of the ruling AK Party's Youth Wing in Denizli, has resigned from his position following public outcry over a social media post featuring a luxury Rolex watch. Çelik initially shared a photo of the watch with a caption thanking "My Dear Brother Mehmet Kalyoncu," which quickly drew criticism and accusations of ostentatious display.

Due to the name similarity, a misunderstanding occurred.

— Mahmut Mert ÇelikÇelik explained the reason for the public backlash in his resignation statement.

Çelik later clarified that the watch was a gift from a contractor named Mehmet Kalyoncu, who works as an interior architect in Izmir. He explained that the public reaction was due to a misunderstanding caused by a name similarity with Mehmet Kalyoncu, a board member at Kalyon Holding. Çelik expressed regret that the situation, stemming from his "incomplete statement," had harmed the party and the cause he believes in.

Despite all these facts, I deeply regret that this situation, arising from my incomplete statement, has harmed my party and the cause I believe in.

— Mahmut Mert ÇelikÇelik expressed his regret over the controversy in his resignation announcement.

In his resignation statement, Çelik stated, "I deeply regret that this situation, arising from my incomplete statement, has harmed my party and the cause I believe in. For this reason, I request to be relieved of my duties." He apologized for causing a misunderstanding and occupying public attention, affirming his continued commitment to serving the AK Party.

I apologize to everyone for causing such a misunderstanding unintentionally and for occupying public attention.

— Mahmut Mert ÇelikÇelik offered an apology for the controversy.

Adding to the clarification, the Kalyon Holding board member, also named Mehmet Kalyoncu, issued his own statement denying any connection to the incident. He explained that the person who gifted the watch is a different individual from Izmir with the same name. He emphasized that his only connection to Denizli is through a university friend and that his responsibilities at Kalyon Holding are limited to the IGA Istanbul Airport Board of Directors starting August 2024, stating he is focusing on his own work and projects.

The person who shared the post and the watch in question have absolutely no connection to me.

— Mehmet KalyoncuThe Kalyon Holding board member denied any involvement in the Rolex watch controversy.
About this summary

Originally published by Cumhuriyet in Turkish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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