Historic victory speech from CHP candidate Mansur Yavaş

Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Mansur Yavaş made a statement. Here are the highlights of Yavaş's remarks:

"I THANK ALL OF ANKARA"

"I would like to thank our previous chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, our current chairman Özgür Özel, and all our organizations. You are the true heroes of all our elections. I wholeheartedly thank our volunteers who made many sacrifices for the fair management of our capital, our women, our youth, our retirees, our tradespeople, our neighborhood heads (muhtars), non-governmental organizations, opinion leaders, and in short, the entire people of Ankara.

I also thank my dear family and children who give me strength. I thank everyone whose strength we felt by our side with every breath we took and every step we made against the slanders thrown at us.

"WE WILL TAKE OFF OUR BADGES AND CONTINUE TO SERVE"

I repeat the sentences I used when we won in the 2019 elections; there is no enemy before us. We are all honorable members of this nation. Our political views may differ, but the election is now over. We will take off our badges and continue to serve without discriminating against anyone. This city, Ankara, is a trust left to us by those who, 100 years ago, despite having different worldviews, came together in various parts of Anatolia for the sake of the homeland and wrote a saga of liberation. It is the trust of Mustafa Kemal and his comrades-in-arms.

"THE LOSER OF THIS ELECTION IS NOT OUR RIVAL FELLOW CITIZENS"

This city is a trust left to us by Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, who showed the bronze heart, the unbreakable wrist, and the love of homeland of the Turkish nation to the whole world, his comrades-in-arms, and all our martyrs who have passed away, as it is the capital of our country. Just as we showed this to the whole world during the pandemic, and just as we rushed to help together in floods, fires, earthquakes, and all the troubled moments of our country, we will be 6 million as one heart without discriminating against anyone. The losers of this election are certainly not our fellow citizens who think differently from us.

"THE LOSER OF THIS ELECTION IS TURGUT ALTINOK"

With the legitimate votes of Ankara, Mansur Yavaş's municipalism has been registered across all of Turkey. The loser of this election is not our fellow citizens who worked for our rival either. We respect their efforts and labor to the end. We thank them wholeheartedly as well. The loser of this election is Turgut Altınok, who has completed his political life as a slanderer. They did the same things in the last election as well. Those who never learn their lesson and slander clean citizens have lost once again in the face of the supreme will of the people of Ankara, and they will continue to lose.

"WE WILL ACCOUNT FOR EVERY PENNY"

I am addressing all of Turkey; in Ankara, concrete lost the election, and green won. In Ankara, ostentation and ill-gotten wealth lost the election, and labor and sweat won. In Ankara, rent-seekers lost the election, and social municipalism won. In Ankara, zoning barons lost the election, and 6 million residents of Ankara won. In Ankara, those who spent billions of liras on obscure concrete towers under the name of 'work-based municipalism' lost the election. The election was won by the alliance formed by volunteers meeting under the Turkish flag, that is, the nation itself, just as it is here. Everyone should know that our understanding of municipalism is one that is devoted not to anyone, but only to the people of Ankara, and one that accepts being a servant to the people of Ankara. We will manage this city with a transparent, participatory, and accountable approach. We will account for every penny of the money we receive from you.

"THIS HISTORIC MARGIN WILL NEVER MAKE US ARROGANT"

We will continue to invest in Ankara's industry, agriculture, tourism, transportation, infrastructure, technology, education, culture, and arts. These election results draw a roadmap for everyone involved in politics in this country, as much as they do for us. This means that if you serve without discriminating against anyone, if you care about the task the public has given you, if you are accountable to the public, if you rush to the side of those in trouble like Khidr, and if you work by talking less and doing more, you get elected with such a record vote. This historic margin will never make us arrogant; on the contrary, we are aware of the great responsibility you have placed on our shoulders. We will continue to work day and night. Our duty is to be the mayor for everyone and to embrace everyone with a smile.

News Source: 12punto