Ekrem İmamoğlu's district tour turns into a rally due to intense interest: 'We hosted you 806 thousand times'

Due to the intense interest shown by citizens toward İmamoğlu, the Ümraniye event, which was planned as a district tour, turned into a public rally.

Responding to the citizens' displays of affection, İmamoğlu and Erdoğdu each delivered speeches to the enthusiastic crowd.

Expressing his satisfaction with the citizens' interest, he said, “Please forgive me. Honestly, what can I say? I am so full of gratitude that I consider it a duty to thank you.

Because this evening, together with Mayor Aykut, we were going to greet you by bus on a route drawn up by our District Chair. But you have gathered with a tremendous welcome, so to speak, to motivate us,” he said.

“THE CANDIDATE CANNOT COPE"

Summarizing the services and social aid provided during his first term, İmamoğlu shared some of the promises they would realize in the second 5-year period with the citizens. Emphasizing that they view every citizen living in Istanbul and Turkey with equal regard, İmamoğlu said in summary:

“We have only one concern; for this poverty to dissipate and leave this country as soon as possible. Let us talk about the wealth of this society as soon as possible, not its poverty or destitution. When the day comes, our nation will evaluate those who have devalued their money. But we have March 31 ahead of us. I led a team that presented a very high-quality period, a period worthy of Istanbul, for 5 years.

My dear fellow citizens, until March 31, some people have gathered in Ankara and come here. Exactly 17 people. They are the cabinet. All of them are named the cabinet. Now, the cabinet, that is, people who have come to the ministry by appointment, are people who are subject to their state and perform the duties defined by their state. Is that right? So these people, for example, will deal with the economy. One will deal with finance, one with justice, one with urban planning, one with transportation…

Isn't that so? But to those 17 people—let's say plus one—the President said, ‘You go to Istanbul. I have appointed a candidate there, but the candidate cannot cope. You 17, be one, and if that's not enough, I will come too, and we will take Ekrem down.’ And I say, ‘If you want, be 17+1. You also have a candidate. But you are doing a disservice to your candidate. You are doing wrong by your candidate. By gathering and coming to Istanbul, I think you are pulling your candidate down. It won't work. Isn't it a pity? It's a pity, it's a pity. Let the candidate fight their own battle. But they have gathered and come.

Ekrem İmamoğlu's district tour turns into a rally due to intense interest: 'We hosted you 806 thousand times'https://t.co/OJ29nQzfSk pic.twitter.com/SNxvaB6nPC

— 12punto (@12puntocomtr) March 26, 2024

“WE ARE PEOPLE DEPENDENT ON THEIR NATION"

Now I will tell you what we will do. Until March 31, against this team of 17+1+candidate… Are we ready to work together with a smiling face, calling our neighbors, relatives, spouses, friends, the neighbor you will call on the phone, your colleague, to ask for votes in Ümraniye for my dear friend, our Ümraniye mayoral candidate Aykut Erdoğdu? Secondly; we have been doing politics together for a very long time. We share our troubles, we argue, we clash our ideas.

Do you know why? To find the right path. Our understanding with each other is as follows. Mr. Aykut is an incredibly experienced person in his own profession and education. I also have my own experiences in my own process.

We are combining our experiences and joining forces. We are establishing a common mind mechanism. Do you know what they are doing? They give both power and authority to one person; they look to Ankara. If he says ‘do it,’ they do it; if he says ‘don't do it,’ they don't. If he says ‘sign,’ they sign; if he says ‘don't sign,’ they don't. They are creating an environment of one will. They are dependent on one person; we, as a team, are people dependent on our nation.

“THEY SAY FULL SPEED BACKWARDS"

To these 17+1 who came to Istanbul from Ankara—that is, the President and his cabinet + the candidate… Do you know what we say to them? We hosted you, we welcomed you. In 2019, because you did wrong on June 23, we hosted you 806 thousand times. Now we are hosting you in even greater numbers and sending you back to Ankara. Where to? Back to your jobs. Go; lower the inflation. Is that right? Increase the pension. Is that right? Pass the 3600 additional indicator. Is that right? Well, that's not enough… You said, ‘We will abolish the interviews,’ you gave your word of honor. Abolish the interviews.

Is that right? You will send them back to their duties. My esteemed fellow citizens who voted for the AK Party will also tell them, ‘Instead of coming to Istanbul and dealing with Ekrem İmamoğlu, go and fix the economy, get the economy back on track.’ You will see that even they, my AK Party fellow citizens, will vote for my Mayor Aykut Erdoğdu in Ümraniye and for this brother of yours in Istanbul to bring them to their senses.

We promise you this: We promise a life of brotherhood in this city, in Ümraniye, in our other districts, and in all of Istanbul. You will choose the one who unites, not the one who divides. You will choose the one who shows you how to embrace each other, not the one who polarizes.

People of Ümraniye, you will choose the ethics of a manager who knows their place, not the one who tries to put you in your place. You will choose the one who loves Istanbul, not the canal. Isn't that so? Isn't that so, people of Ümraniye? One question: The canal or Istanbul? (Voices of 'Istanbul'.) Exactly. Finally; they say full speed backwards, we say full speed ahead.”

News Source: 12punto