Breaking News: Mansur Yavaş reacts to presidential candidacy debates: 'If you want to change the government...'

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality (ABB) Mayor Mansur Yavaş made statements regarding the current agenda during a press conference he held.

Discussing the support provided by the municipality to citizens struggling with the cost of living, Yavaş touched upon the economic crisis.

Drawing attention to recent arrests, lawsuits, and investigations, Yavaş reacted to the debates surrounding presidential candidates.

Regarding the debates, Yavaş stated, "They want to distract from the country's real agenda. They have been bringing up the 'who will be the candidate' debates for 5 years. Our priority is the economy. If we are to become the government, we need to listen to the citizens. They are talking about elections so that the economy is not discussed."

Emphasizing that the economy should be the priority, Yavaş said, "If you want to change the government, the first thing to do is to set out by taking care of these poor people, both as municipalities and as opposition parties, to change the government."

"WE WILL STAND BY RETIREES AND MINIMUM WAGE EARNERS TO THE END"

Yavaş did not respond to questions regarding presidential candidate debates during the press conference.

When asked by a journalist, "What is your exact position? What stance will you take in the 3-way meeting you will have with İmamoğlu and Özel regarding ending the candidacy debates?" Yavaş replied, "We will stand by retirees and minimum wage earners to the end."

Highlights from Yavaş's speech are as follows:

"My mother has no money, don't take me to the hospital" cry. This cry is present everywhere in Turkey today. Therefore, this is Turkey's real agenda: hunger and poverty. People shivering in this cold, people walking around hungry; finding a remedy for their troubles.

If today's government cannot be a remedy for their troubles, all Republican People's Party (CHP) municipalities should prioritize this side with a social state understanding. These words, which break all of our hearts, were actually not just a child's, but the silent cry of thousands of people carrying the burden of life on their shoulders.

As a municipality that stands by the people, we are working with all our might so that no child in this city goes to bed hungry, and no mother or father feels helpless. We are working today, and we will continue to work tomorrow. So, what are we doing? I want to show this on the screens.

We made a promise before the election. We will issue a card. We will load money onto this card. The mother or father of the household will go and buy what they need from local tradesmen. Previously, it was bought from one person in bulk. Now it is not like that. Over 180,000 tradesmen benefit from this. They also stay afloat. Therefore, the number of Başkent cards has exceeded 500,000 today. We want 5,000,000 residents of Ankara to use these 500,000 cards. Because these are not social cards. When you spend, the commissions left over from these also return to the municipality. They are also used for social services.

In total, we have provided 341,496,000 dollars, that is, nearly 10-12 billion in support to date. By showing an example of transparent municipalism, when you click the link below on our website or enter via the QR code, yes, we show who was given how much support in which neighborhood in Ankara. You can see this. Therefore, as you can see here, no district is discriminated against. Because what is important for us is that they need support.

As an administrator, we will not watch this. We will not allow our people to freeze in their homes. We will not allow them to die of hunger. We will not watch this incompetence of the government. In fact, we also receive a lot of criticism. Sometimes they say there is an allegation that because you provide this support, they do not see what the government is doing. But an administrator with a conscience and compassion cannot watch this. They need to provide all the support they can and prioritize this direction, and we are doing it this way. And the Minister of Labor says that we will make this wage we give to retirees, this comfort, permanent. I mean, they are so disconnected from the agenda that they think the 14,600 liras, the 14,469 liras that retirees receive is a large wage. They think retirees are living well with this, and they say you will also make these figures permanent. What does this show? They don't go out to the streets. They don't go to the market. Unfortunately, they don't hear those cries. Yes, as you can see here again, they had extended the Turkey Family Support Program in June. They say we have extended it until the end of 2024 for the last time, and it ends there. As I said, if there were an improvement in the economy, if these people's salaries were increased, maybe it would be reasonable, but even though their salaries have decreased, this support has also been terminated.

There are such agendas that we have seen for the last few months that the judiciary acts almost like a stick of the government. These are always talked about on television. But perhaps the government is doing this precisely so that they are talked about.

Trump said I will seize Gaza, was it ever discussed on television? Was the Syria incident discussed, or do you see the earthquakes in the Aegean Sea being discussed?

Or those who are arrested, those who have lawsuits filed against them, or the debates on who will be the candidate.

They debated who would be the candidate for 5 years. Now I think they are making people debate it on purpose. I think they are creating these agendas on purpose so that these issues are not discussed.

But I claim. Our priority is the economy. If you want to change the government, the first thing to do is to set out by taking care of these poor people, both as municipalities and as opposition parties, to change the government.

I want to draw the country to its real agenda. As much as I can, I call on all CHP municipalities to be partners in these efforts. Because if we are not by their side today, there will be no importance in us being by their side tomorrow.

Our agenda is clear. We must not allow anything other than this agenda to be discussed.

We will do whatever we can for the millions who say they cannot make ends meet.

Today's government has condemned retirees and minimum wage earners to below the hunger threshold. It has chosen to share the country's resources not with retirees, not with minimum wage earners, not with workers, but with a segment of capitalists. Have you noticed that the flashy simit calculations that were constantly made once upon a time have not been made for a long time? Because these calculations no longer hold up with the salaries of retirees and the working class. In other words, a poverty and destitution where they cannot even buy tea and simit is in the squares. I am telling you these, know them. There is enough bread and water for everyone in this country. Our country is a very productive, fertile country. The soil here is very generous to the Turkish people.

The soil has never betrayed those who sow and reap. Whatever we planted, it gave more. You supported us, you chose us to serve. We cannot say 'what is it to us' like them regarding this poverty produced by the government. Everything we have in our hands belongs to our minimum wage earners and retirees whose purchasing power decreases every day and whose salary has fallen below the hunger threshold.

This treatment, this salary deemed worthy for those who work by sweating, producing, and with their labor, and for the retirees who have served this country for years, is the shame of those who govern this country.

As long as these do not disappear, what does it matter if you become president?

What position compensates for these? I am calling out from here, we are by your side. We are by the side of our low-income people and those in need. No matter what the conditions are, we will continue to be by their side. There will definitely be our shortcomings, our deficiencies, places our hands cannot reach, but do not forget that these days will also pass. Please do not forget those who condemn you to this poverty.

Moreover, we are doing this support even while the government is shaking us. In January, they cut 2 billion 100 million liras. Even if it was with a 2-day delay, we took out a loan and paid these social supports again. What was important for us was that they did not go hungry.

I hope these days pass very quickly and our country attains a fair administration, and we talk about good things, not poverty, destitution, and misery. Never lose your hope. We will definitely talk about good things.

Dear members of the press, I said a little while ago the biggest reason for us holding this press conference today. I want to draw the country to its real agenda.

As much as I can, I call on all Republican People's Party municipalities to be partners in these efforts in the name of social municipalism, to support these people in their own municipalities, provinces, and districts. Because if we are not by their side today, there will be no importance in us being by their side tomorrow. Therefore, our agenda is clear. For the reasons I mentioned a little while ago, we must not allow anything other than this agenda to be discussed. For this reason, to use whatever we can for the millions who say they are hungry and cannot make ends meet, and to be a voice for their voice. I know there are questions regarding the political agenda and issues you are looking for answers to. However, my agenda today is this.

A political question you will ask me will, in my opinion, overshadow the most important agenda of the people. I ask for your understanding in this regard."

News Source: 12punto