Erdoğan announces AKP's Istanbul district mayoral candidates! MHP to be supported in 2 districts

AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced his party's and the People's Alliance's Istanbul district mayoral candidates at the Haliç Congress Center.

In Istanbul, which has 39 districts, the AKP's candidates were announced for 37 municipalities, while the MHP's candidates were announced for Beşiktaş and Silivri.

The Istanbul district candidates of the People's Alliance, formed by the AKP and MHP, are as follows;

Adalar – Uğur Sina Şen

Arnavutköy – Mustafa Candaroğlu

Ataşehir – Naim Yağcı

Avcılar – Abdullah Küçükoğlu

Bağcılar – Abdullah Özdemir

Bahçelievler – Hakan Bahadır

Bakırköy – Ali Talip Özdemir

Başakşehir – Yasin Kartoğlu

Bayrampaşa – İlknur Kovaç Bayraktar

Beşiktaş – Serkan Toper (MHP candidate)

Beykoz – Murat Aydın

Beylikdüzü – Mustafa Günaydın

Beyoğlu – Haydar Ali Yıldız

Büyükçekmece – Recep Erol

Çatalca – Mesut Üner

Çekmeköy – Ahmet Poyraz

Esenler – Mehmet Tevfik Göksu

Esenyurt – Hamit Öncü

Eyüp – Deniz Köken

Fatih – Mehmet Ergün Turan

Gaziosmanpaşa – Hasan Tahsin Usta

Güngören – Bünyamin Demir

Kadıköy – Veli Arslan

Kağıthane – Mevlüt Öztekin

Kartal – Hüseyin Karakaya

Küçükçekmece – Aziz Yeniay

Maltepe – Kadem Ekşi

Pendik – Ahmet Cin

Sancaktepe – Şeyma Döğücü

Sarıyer – Hüseyin Coşkun

Silivri – Volkan Yılmaz (MHP candidate)

Sultanbeyli – Ali Tombaş

Sultangazi – Abdurrahman Dursun

Şile – İlhan Ocaklı

Şişli – Gökhan Yüksel

Tuzla – Şadi Yazıcı

Ümraniye – İsmet Yıldırım

Üsküdar – Hilmi Türkmen

Zeytinburnu – Ömer Arısoy

Delivering a speech at the program before announcing the mayoral candidates, Erdoğan said the following:

"There are 70 days left until the elections. We have never been a party that only remembers the voters, that is, the nation, from ballot box to ballot box. The price of serving the city of Istanbul cannot be exchanged for all the wealth in the world. You couldn't even get close to the Golden Horn due to the stench. I am from Kasımpaşa; I was born and raised next to the Golden Horn. I lived with the Golden Horn. When we started cleaning it, it became the Golden Horn of today. We removed 9.5 million cubic meters of sludge. Could those currently in charge have done this? But Murat Kurum can."

"IT HAS LOST A QUARTER-CENTURY OF ALTITUDE IN 5 YEARS"

They hold ceremonies for not laying foundations. This picture of Istanbul, where streets are covered in filth, surrounded by shanty houses, where roads are impassable, and everything is falling apart, has not only saddened us. We rolled up our sleeves to eliminate this image. Instead of hiding behind excuses, we tried to find a cure for Istanbul's troubles. In the last 5 years, Istanbul has been subjected to neglect that reminds one of its old days. It has lost a quarter-century of altitude in 5 years. Those who took over the administration in 2019 started their work not with service, but with 'not laying foundations' ceremonies. 

"WHAT THEY UNDERSTAND BY ENVIRONMENT IS PROTECTING LOOTERS"

They continued their mistakes by destroying the vertical gardens that adorned Istanbul's roadsides. They are trying to belittle and underestimate Murat Kurum's projects in their own minds. All they understand about the environment is protecting the looters who burn and destroy the city while hiding behind this concept. Why is reducing plastic use critically important? They have not the slightest idea about these things. Not only do they fail to fulfill their duties against the earthquake threat, but they also make a mockery of it.

"THE NATION WHOSE THROAT YOU ARE GRABBING WILL GIVE ITS ANSWER"

Istanbul does not deserve this cruelty, this torment, this hypocrisy. Istanbul does not deserve to be mentioned as one of the most difficult places to live in for the last few years. Istanbul will get rid of what it does not deserve on March 31. They hit an elderly aunt in Büyükçekmece and even grabbed her by the throat. This nation, whose throat you are grabbing, will give you its answer at the ballot box on election day. You will have your militants lynch journalists who are trying to do their jobs. This is called fascism.

TARGETED ÖZGÜR ÖZEL

We are a nation that has made one of the most strategic geographies, especially Istanbul, its homeland. There is a price to pay for living on these lands. We have paid and continue to pay this price every day. The reason for the attacks we are exposed to, both externally and internally, is the same. The goal is to intimidate this nation and weaken this state. Turkey has been a target country for a long time. The most important tool of those who want to isolate us by establishing a 'Terroristan' is the separatist terrorist organization. I did not agree with Deniz Baykal on many issues, but I respected his political experience. I had many fights with 'Bay Kemal' (Mr. Kemal). He also had his own style and manner. As for 'Mr. Özgür', he managed to tumble to the bottom of the list before he even started. The CHP of 'Mr. Özgür' is now integrated with the DEM Party, which continues to act as an apparatus for the separatist organization."

"WE WILL END THE CHAOS IN THIS CITY"

Speaking beforehand, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayoral Candidate Murat Kurum in summary, said the following:

"The AK Party's story began in Istanbul in 1994 with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's epic mayoral term. President Erdoğan wrote history first in Istanbul, and then in Turkey. Being a candidate for Istanbul, which carries such a great claim, is a unique source of pride for us. 

We will work with determination day and night until the vote counting is finished on the night of March 31. Unfortunately, our Istanbul, which is the city of us all, is on the verge of losing many of its beauties and many of its riches. We see the excitement we have witnessed in the field for 12 days, which continues to grow, in this hall as well, and we say that this city, which has been longing for works and services for the last 5 years, is rising again and displaying a historic stance.

Together with teams that know Istanbul's problems, we will put an end to all the chaos in the city. Just as we have worked in all 81 of our cities, in all disaster areas, in earthquakes, floods, and fires, we will work in Istanbul until not a single risky structure remains, until the ordeal of traffic is eliminated, and until the streets are filled with peace and security. We will be the friends, brothers, and companions of all Istanbulites. We will bring the true municipalism put forward by our President, the AK Party municipalism, back to Istanbul. 

Stating that they will equip this beautiful city with works and services worthy of the legacy of Fatih, Kurum said, "We will not stop for a single moment until we make our Istanbul the flagship city, the pioneering city, and the leading city of the Century of Turkey."

News Source: 12punto