Recep Düzgit expresses concerns over vote manipulation in DTO elections and vows to uphold voter integrity.
Following the elections for the professional committee and Assembly membership held on Sunday, October 11, by the İMEAK Chamber of Shipping (DTO), Board of Directors Candidate Recep Düzgit made a written statement. Düzgit pointed out the superiority of the Blue ballot in the election results and stated that they received information indicating that some Assembly members were offered benefits in exchange for changing their voting preferences. He announced that they are evaluating the allegations with their legal advisors and will file the necessary criminal complaints, calling for respect for the will of the voters.
In his written statement dated October 13, 2026, titled 'Respect for Voter Will,' Recep Düzgit stated the following:
RESPECT FOR VOTER WILL
Dear Colleagues, Esteemed Members of the Press,
Istanbul, October 13, 2026
I congratulate all our members elected to the Assembly in the elections held on Sunday, October 11, 2026, by İMEAK DTO, and wish them success in the new term. A big thank you to all sector members, as the election results have been determined by the preferences of our members:
Blue ballot: 23 Committees with 58 Assembly Members
Yellow ballot: 21 Committees with 53 Assembly Members
In the 4 Committees where the votes were equal: 9 Assembly Members
In these 4 Committees where the votes were equal, as a result of the draw, three memberships went to the Blue ballot and six to the Yellow ballot, shaping the Assembly as 61 to 59. Prior to the draws, the difference in the ballot box was not two members but five, with 58 to 53; our members have indicated the Blue ballot both in the number of committees and in Assembly membership.
The established tradition of our Chamber is clear: The side that wins the majority at the ballot box carries out the necessary work and presents the Board of Directors' proposal to the Assembly; it is accepted by the majority of the Assembly. Thus, the polarization of the elections is left behind, and steps to strengthen our maritime trade are continued as one body.
This is a chamber of commerce; our Assembly is not a parliament where political debates are conducted, but a platform where the collective wisdom of our sector is gathered.
Given this situation, allegations have been conveyed to us by the very parties involved that some Assembly Members were offered benefits in exchange for changing their voting preferences. Interference with the will of the voters through promises of benefits constitutes 'unlawful procurement of votes,' which is a crime under the law. The relevant legislation states that those responsible shall be punished with 'imprisonment from one year to three years.'
We are evaluating this information with our legal advisors and will file the necessary criminal complaints. We kindly request that any Assembly Members who encounter such an approach report the situation to us immediately.
We strongly condemn these unlawful approaches!
Merit, institutional memory, and experience are the unchanging criteria of our management understanding. Today, the following question stands before our community and the public: Should our sector dedicate the next four years to electoral polarization, or to the real problems of maritime trade? We believe that the 120 Assembly Members who carry the will of our members to the Assembly will uphold this trust with common sense.
Respectfully announced to the public.
Board of Directors Candidate of İMEAK Chamber of Shipping
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
