The first cooperation between members of the CHP and the People's Alliance took place in Ankara's Etimesgut municipal elections.
After the arrest and removal of Etimesgut Mayor Erdal Beşikçioğlu from office, the CHP's candidate Seda Dilber was elected as the acting mayor in the fourth round by the votes of council members of the AKP and MHP alliance. Yeni Party's candidate Mehmet Özdemir lost the election.
People's Alliance members did not vote for either candidate in the first two rounds, then started supporting Dilber. Both candidates received an equal number of votes in the third round. In the fourth round, Dilber received 21 votes and, with the support of the People's Alliance, was elected deputy mayor.
Yeni Party Deputy Chair Yaşar Tüzün said: 'In Etimesgut Municipality, we have seen the most concrete demonstration of how those appointed to the CHP through the nullity ruling cooperate with the People's Alliance, and how they will continue to cooperate with them in politics going forward.'
CHP spokesperson Müslim Sarı said that Dilber would hand over the post to Beşikçioğlu 'when Mayor Erdal returns.' Sarı said: 'A municipality belonging to the CHP has remained with the CHP.'
Prior to his arrest, Beşikçioğlu decided to stay in the CHP after the absolute nullity court ruling that ousted the CHP's chair and reinstated the former one. In his testimony on Aug. 2, actor-turned-mayor Beşikçioğlu addressed accusations from municipal staffer Serkan Kozan, who was removed from office over irregularities and had a criminal complaint filed against him. Beşikçioğlu underlined that Kozan benefited from effective remorse, adding: 'He gave statements about me stemming from hostility following the criminal complaint against him and his suspension from duty.'
