Mayor of Ağrı builds 'Gossip Club' in city park, then denies doing so

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After ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Mayor Savcı Sayan of the eastern province of Ağrı built a 'Gossip Club' in a park in the city center, it was quickly covered in a tarpaulin after reactions mounted. When well-known journalist Ismail Saymaz posted about this affair on Twitter, it shortly culminated in an online dispute between Saymaz and Sayan. 

Following Saymaz's tweets, Sayan accused the journalist of slander and threatened to take legal action against him, claiming that the tarpaulin-covered building in question, which previously had the words 'Gossip Club' written on the outer wall, was a game center that was being transferred to a space for the local unarmed police forces. Sayan also sent Saymaz a message saying “if that sort of thing exists that may God kill me.” 

After Sayan wrote those tweets, Saymaz responded by posting a prior video of Sayan talking about his plans to establish the Gossip Club: 

“We're going to give up gossiping. I'm having a club made in the park. In the club I'm going to leave three or four chairs, and three or four packs of cigarettes. On the front of I'm going to write “Gossip Club.” Those who want to gossip please do it here, don't spoil the serenity of the city. In ten days I'm going to set it up. Who ever is going to gossip, do it there, drink çay, smoke cigarettes. Ağrı can't achieve anything with gossip,” Sayan said in the video