Earthquake survivors had reacted: First statement from Lütfü Savaş, re-nominated in Hatay

The Republican People's Party (CHP) has re-nominated the incumbent mayor, Lütfü Savaş, as its candidate for Hatay, one of the cities most affected by the February 6 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, for the March 31, 2024 elections.

The candidacy of Savaş, who has served as the Metropolitan Mayor of Hatay since 2014, sparked reactions.

Following the reactions, a statement came from Lütfü Savaş. Announcing his candidacy on his social media account, Savaş said in his post, "I am deeply honored to be announced once again as the Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayoral candidate by my party, the Republican People's Party, whose first Chairman was our Great Leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. I would like to express my gratitude to our Chairman Mr. Özgür Özel, our esteemed Central Executive Board (MYK) and Party Assembly (PM) members, our deputies, our Hatay Provincial Chairman Hakan Tiryaki, our district chairmen and administrators, my brothers and sisters serving in the Women's and Youth Branches, and our valued party members." he stated.

Stating that he will work to rebuild Hatay, one of the cities most affected by the February 6 earthquakes, Mayor Savaş said, "The painful losses and great destruction we experienced in the disaster caused by the February 6 earthquakes, which were among the greatest in history, have plunged each of us into indescribable sadness. However, this has also given great strength to our determination and work to recover and stand back up, and has brought our solidarity with all our colors and our sense of commitment and belonging to our personal cause, Hatay, to its peak. I promise all my fellow citizens who continue to live in our city under difficult conditions and those who are outside the city but whose hearts beat for Hatay; despite all the pain we have experienced, we will meet again at the same tables with all our colors in our ancient city. Our only goal ahead will be to carry our city safely into the future as one and whole, with great determination and in the light of science." he said.

I am deeply honored to be announced once again as the Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayoral candidate by my party, the Republican People's Party, whose first Chairman was our Great Leader Gazi Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
I am deeply honored to be announced once again as the Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayoral candidate.
Starting with our esteemed Chairman Özgür Özel (@eczozgurozel) and our esteemed MYK and… pic.twitter.com/EurEZLibcA

— Lütfü Savaş ???? (@DocDrLutfuSavas) January 10, 2024

ÖZGÜR ÖZEL'S REMARKS ON HATAY HAD COME TO THE AGENDA AGAIN

Özgür Özel, who was a guest on the program 'I Just Spoke' with Candaş Tolga Işık, had said that they would abide by the decision of the people of Hatay regarding the Hatay candidate in the March 31 local elections.

In his statements to journalist Candaş Tolga Işık, Özel said, "The decision we will make in Hatay will be a very historic one because we have to abide by whatever decision the people of Hatay make about the mayor after the earthquake." When asked by Işık, "Does the Hatay Municipality also have responsibility for the destruction in Hatay?", Özel replied, "If there is destruction in a city, everyone in that city has responsibility. It is not possible to say that local governments have no fault if a fault is to be assigned here. One of the 10 municipalities is ours; I take that fault, and I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the other 9 faults belong to the Justice and Development Party (AKP)."

News Source: İHA