Cankul reacts sharply to allegations of 'hidden hike' in BASKİ's water tariff

Kepsut Mayor İsmail Cankul brought the issue to the agenda by taking a harsh stance against the new water tariff introduced by the Water and Sewerage Administration (BASKİ), affiliated with the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality. Although the administration presented the new pricing as a discount or convenience, Cankul argued that there was actually a hidden increase in prices, emphasizing that this situation would negatively affect the citizen's budget. The Mayor stated that this picture, which the local administration tried to persuade the people with, did not reflect the truth and expressed that he found the application contrary to the principle of transparency.

According to the statement made, although BASKİ stated that it made changes in the water tariff and that the new regulation would relax the subscribers, Cankul claimed that the opposite picture emerged when the details of the calculations were examined. Cankul suggested that the visible discount seen in the bills, in particular, was compensated by expenses or increase rates added to other items, stating that this was a classic 'hidden hike' method. He stated that the citizen's inability to clearly see how much they would pay could create a trust issue among those receiving municipal services.

In his criticisms regarding the issue, Cankul not only condemned the current situation but also made concrete offers and calls for a radical solution of the issue. He argued that a more transparent mechanism should be established in the process of determining water prices and that a fair tariff should be created by taking into account the income status and basic needs of the citizens. He expressed that if a permanent and sustainable solution is not found, short-term and populist approaches will put both the citizen and the municipality in a difficult situation in the long run.

This development has the potential to directly influence the perceptions of the citizens living in the Kepsut district of Balıkesir regarding their water bills and municipal services. Emphasizing that the pricing of a vital resource like water should be based on public benefit rather than political or commercial concerns, Cankul tries to make his voice heard as a representative of the people, not with the identity of an opposition party or mayor. While it is a matter of curiosity how BASKİ officials will respond to these allegations in the coming period and whether a correction will be made in the tariff, the dose of political debates may also increase.

As a result, the tension that started between the Kepsut local administration and the BASKİ administration under the Bursa Metropolitan Municipality over this issue constitutes an important example in terms of the relations between local governments and metropolitan municipalities. It brings with it the debate of how central or metropolitan services are perceived at the district level and who should bear the costs. This harsh exit of İsmail Cankul can spread to other district mayors who have similar allegations and show a wide expansion.