Municipalities affiliated with the Republican People's Party have been a source of distress rather than effective service. Ongoing scandals within the CHP-controlled Ankara Metropolitan Municipality have further exacerbated concerns.
The recent revelation of a bacterial contamination scandal at the Ankara Halk Bread Factory, which has long been known for supplying quality and healthy bread to the people of Ankara, is deeply troubling.
This incident, brought to light by Hakan Han Özcan, the AK Party Ankara Provincial Chairman, has raised serious questions. It has been documented that the bread produced in the factory was contaminated with ROPE (Clostridium perfringens) bacteria.
Despite Mansur Yavaş denying any wrongdoing in the scandal, Mustafa Saykılı, an employee at the factory, has come forward with details about the concerning practices that neglect public health.
Saykılı, who has worked at the Halk Bread Factory for years, has revealed a stark contrast in the factory's operations before and after 2019. He said "Before 2019, the factory adhered to high standards of hygiene, health checks for employees, and provided latex gloves that didn't stick to the bread, which were distributed to staff. However, these practices changed significantly under the new management. The distribution of gloves ceased, and vitamin C was removed from the bread production process. The quality of flour used in breadmaking also allegedly deteriorated as cheaper and lower-quality flours were blended together."
Saykılı further said, "Despite bringing the issue of bacterial contamination to the factory's management's attention multiple times, their concerns were not taken seriously."
In an effort to expose the problem, Saykılı purchased bread from different "Halk Bread" buffets and had it analyzed privately. The examination confirmed bacterial contamination in the bread samples. He also alleged that employees who raised concerns or tried to share information were marginalized.
