Tradesmen revolt in Malatya: Bülent Tüfenkci broke his promise

The electricity cut due to the evacuation process in the Small Industrial Site in Malatya's Çavuşoğlu neighborhood caused a strong reaction from the tradesmen. When the tradesmen arrived at their workplaces in the morning and found the electricity cut off, they gathered together to protest the situation. They first held a press conference inside the industrial site, then marched to the Malatya Metropolitan Municipality building to voice their demands. The tradesmen stated that the power outage negatively affected their production and working lives, and demanded a reassessment of the evacuation process. They also emphasized that they wanted to continue their activities in their current workplaces until new places were allocated to them.

Basri Gündoğan, one of the tradesmen, showed a message sent by the Malatya Manufacturing, Repair and Iron Tradesmen Chamber. The message stated that as a result of a meeting with the governorate and deputy Bülent Tüfenkci, it was agreed that heavily damaged workplaces would not be evacuated until new shops were built and delivered. Gündoğan said, "So what happened now? What did we do?" indicating that this promise was not kept. The tradesmen found it unacceptable that their electricity was cut off and they were pressured to evacuate despite the given promise.

In his speech, Gündoğan harshly criticized AK Party Malatya Deputy Bülent Tüfenkci. "We come in the morning to do our work, we go home in the evening. Look at the calluses on our hands. Today, Bülent Tüfenkci, we made you a minister, we made you a deputy. You gave your word. Come out and say, 'I didn't promise the tradesmen.' For this demolition, I will vacate my shop tomorrow. I heard this from his own mouth," Gündoğan said, accusing Tüfenkci of breaking his promise. The tradesmen claimed that the deputy had promised them they would not be evacuated until new places were built, but this promise was not fulfilled.

This incident in Malatya draws attention as part of the transformation process in the city after the earthquake. The damaged industrial site is planned to be evacuated and replaced with a new industrial area. However, the tradesmen state that this process is being carried out without consulting them and without addressing their grievances. The power cut has rendered the tradesmen almost unable to work, and the authorities' indifference to this situation is increasing the reactions. While the tradesmen are protesting in front of the municipality to make their voices heard, the outcome of the process remains a matter of curiosity.

These developments reveal the tension between tradesmen and local authorities in Malatya. While the tradesmen are fighting for their rights, the role of Bülent Tüfenkci in this process and the fate of his promises are causing controversy. If the incident escalates, it is thought that other tradesmen groups in similar situations may also take action. This revolt in Malatya once again highlights the painful aspects of urban transformation after the earthquake.