İmamoğlu had signaled it: Leader visits have begun

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has arrived in Ankara to meet with political party leaders following the decisions to appoint trustees to municipalities.

İmamoğlu will first meet with CHP leader Özgür Özel. 

İMAMOĞLU HAD GIVEN THE SIGNAL 

IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu had spoken following the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye Council meeting. On İmamoğlu's agenda were the decisions to appoint trustees to the districts of Esenyurt, Mardin, Batman, and Halfeti in Şanlıurfa.

IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu stated that the trustee practices in Türkiye interfere with the popular will of local democracy and that the powers granted to the Minister of Interior by the constitution are being abused. Stating that the authority to suspend from duty granted to the Minister in the constitution is intended only for exceptional circumstances, İmamoğlu said, "These practices are deeply wounding our democracy."

''TÜRKİYE IS HEADING TOWARD A TOTALITARIAN REGIME''

Emphasizing that the appointment of trustees is taking Türkiye away from the elected democratic process and toward a totalitarian regime, İmamoğlu expressed that this situation is reminiscent of anti-democratic practices during coup periods. "These decisions evoke periods when democracy was suspended. People's labor is being ignored, and moving away from democracy will also have severe economic consequences," he said.

ECONOMIC VULNERABILITY IS INCREASING 

Stating that moving away from democracy also negatively affects the Turkish economy, İmamoğlu said, "Because of these policies, our country has become one of the most vulnerable economies in the world. Our people are in the midst of severe livelihood difficulties," he said. 

THE FREEDOM TO VOTE AND BE ELECTED IS BEING DESTROYED

İmamoğlu expressed that the appointment of trustees and interventions against municipalities have become systematic and that the right to vote and be elected is under pressure. "Despite the pressure exerted by the central government on municipalities, our municipalities have done a good job. We stand against dawn raids and anti-democratic practices regardless of who they are directed at," he said, reacting to the obstruction of local administrations.

THERE IS AN ADMINISTRATION THAT DOES NOT ACCOUNT 

Arguing that with the appointment of trustees, municipalities are being handed over to an administration far from accountability, İmamoğlu said, "The functioning of municipalities is being disrupted by trustee appointments, and a management approach that does not account for its actions is being adopted," he said. He emphasized that this style of administration, which exerts pressure on municipalities, must end as soon as possible.

THE TBMM MUST ACT QUICKLY 

Reminding that there are regulations in the municipal law regarding how metropolitan mayors can be removed from office, İmamoğlu said that punishments should be individual. "The trustee practice introduced during the state of emergency must now be ended. As the Union of Municipalities of Türkiye, we will hold consultations with political parties. It is essential that the TBMM intervenes in this process quickly," he stated.  

At the end of his speech, İmamoğlu had announced that he would hold meetings with political party leaders regarding the trustees appointed to municipalities. 

News Source: 12punto