Murat Kurum's '650 thousand' statement on live broadcast: 'You do better'

Responding to questions about the agenda on the 'Tarafsız Bölge' program on CNN Türk, Kurum stated that for 80 days, they have been visiting Istanbul's 39 districts to explain their projects and dreams to the people of Istanbul, that a bond has formed between them, and that this affection and enthusiasm are growing like a snowball.

Expressing that they see people's weariness, exhaustion, and the lack of services in the places they visit, Kurum said, "A mayor who has spent the last 5 years talking back to ministers and making unspeakable insults toward our President. Istanbul is strong, its resources are sufficient for everything, but on one side there is the 'We are being blocked' policy. It's always perception, always an excuse. This has exhausted Istanbul. I have clearly seen this in 80 days. I believe these need to be resolved."

When asked for his assessment of the 'Re-Great Istanbul Rally' organized by the AKP at Atatürk Airport, Kurum stated that despite it being Ramadan, they held a sort of rehearsal for March 31 with 650 thousand citizens with great enthusiasm.

"THEY AVOID HOLDING RALLIES THEMSELVES"

Upon being asked about claims that participation in the rally was low, Kurum said, "It's always the same thing. If that's the case, you do better. They avoid holding rallies themselves. 650 thousand of our citizens came there with great enthusiasm, a flood of people, and we are experiencing that enthusiasm there with hundreds of thousands of our brothers and sisters on a day of Ramadan. They will just find a cover for that too."

Noting that there has been no criticism regarding his projects and promises during this process, Kurum said that what has been done for 80 days is merely an attempt to create an agenda and perception out of trivial things.

Stating that Istanbul's resources have been squandered for 5 years, Kurum continued as follows:

"They spent them for their own future. Now, without shame or hesitation, they stand before the people of Istanbul and offer the Hızray Project as a promise again. My friend, why didn't you start it for 5 years? What was preventing you from doing this work? There is no obstacle. (In 2019) The promise is the same. They ask him, 'You made these promises, why weren't they completed?'. 'They wouldn't have been completed anyway' or 'I don't remember that promise.' They cannot go on television channels because they are afraid they will be asked these questions. 

They tell their friends; 'Don't ask us about money, don't ask about promises, don't ask about other topics.' What are we going to ask? If we are not going to talk about Istanbul's problems, if we are not going to talk about you squandering Istanbul's resources, what is this nation going to talk about? The people of Istanbul want a mayor who cares about them."

"OUR YENİDEN REFAH PARTY VOTERS WILL MAKE THIS COMPARISON"

When asked, "What message would you like to give to voters who will vote strategically and to undecided voters?", Murat Kurum stated that in the local elections, services and works, and projects regarding the solution of Istanbul's problems will be voted on, and that voters should cast their ballots by comparing those who have been making excuses for 5 years with the side that has been serving in 81 provinces.

To the question, "How will you make the votes going to the Yeniden Refah Party strategic and ensure they turn toward you? What message would you like to give to Yeniden Refah Party voters?", Kurum replied, "The Yeniden Refah Party voters are the ones who know the CHP's understanding of municipalism best. They have suffered from no other municipalism as much as they have suffered from this one. They know this hardship best."

Pointing out that there is a will that realizes the dreams of former Prime Minister Necmettin Erbakan, Kurum noted the following:

"Yeniden Refah Party voters are living their freedom regarding their attire. They can express themselves freely. There is a mentality on the other side that labels children going to our Quran courses as a 'Middle Ages' mentality. Now, who will the vote of these voters benefit? When they reflect their will, will they support those who realize these dreams, or those who stand against these dreams?

Our Yeniden Refah Party voters will clearly make this comparison. I am a candidate for the votes of our Yeniden Refah Party voters, Republican People's Party voters, other parties, and everyone living in Istanbul. Because my concern is Istanbul, the future of Istanbul. They should use their will in favor of Murat Kurum here.

Because Murat Kurum kept his word in the past. He went to disaster areas, and whatever he promised the nation in those disasters, he kept. If you ask anyone in 81 provinces, 'If Murat Kurum says it, he does it,' they will say he keeps his word."

"THERE IS A METRO TENDER THEY CANCELLED"

Explaining his projects regarding transportation, traffic, and parking problems, Kurum drew attention to the fact that these problems have turned into an ordeal in Istanbul and said, "You came supposedly to solve Istanbul's problems. You said, 'Everything will be very beautiful.' What is beautiful in Istanbul? Transportation has become an ordeal. The fear of earthquakes has increased. Our citizens are troubled. Can you name one thing that is beautiful?"

Upon being reminded of IMM Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu's words, "It is the nation's property," regarding the metro projects built in Istanbul, Murat Kurum said:

"We are not saying it is not the nation's property. The point is, do not commit labor theft there. He says, 'I laid the foundations' for the metros laid during the time of the late Kadir [Topbaş] brother. There is the labor and sweat of those people. The 63.9-kilometer line he says he opened. 46 kilometers of it were built, finished, and delivered. He himself completed 17.88 in the 5-year period. He has not laid any metro foundations, there are no new metro tenders, not even one, but there are ones they cancelled, where they poured rubble and concrete. We completed 99 percent of the Mecidiyeköy-Mahmutbey line, he did 1 percent. He says, 'I did it.' Is that possible? Dudullu-Bostancı, we completed 70 percent, he completed 30 percent. In Bahariye-Ataköy, we did 40 percent, he did 60 percent. Cibali-Alibeyköy, we finished 99 percent, he did 1 percent."

ALLEGATION OF İMAMOĞLU'S 3 VILLAS

After a video was shown of Ekrem İmamoğlu responding to a question about allegations that he "concealed 3 villas in Emirgan while declaring his assets" during a live broadcast he attended on a television channel by saying, "Our property there and so on is also under İmamoğlu Construction," Kurum spoke as follows:

"How do you acquire 3 or 4, I don't know how many houses, 1.5 billion liras worth of assets immediately after the asset declaration, without declaring this before the asset declaration, and why don't you explain this to the people of Istanbul, what are you hiding? If you have such assets, why didn't you declare them in your asset declaration? You said we would have a transparent administration, we would explain everything transparently to the nation. 

You do not state these in your asset declaration, and then, for some reason, you acquire 1.5 billion liras worth of assets immediately afterward. This needs to be explained. This needs to be clearly expressed to the people of Istanbul. Why would a person hide their assets? Whatever it is, it is. It is understood that while we were building villa-comfort homes for our nation in those disaster areas in 81 provinces, our rival was busy building himself a villa here. That is what comes out of this."

News Source: 12punto