IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu criticizes the government over Gaziosmanpaşa, Beykoz, and Tuzla: 'A 62 million tender was awarded'

IMM President Ekrem İmamoğlu, who defeated the People's Alliance's AKP candidate Murat Kurum by more than 11 points with 51.15 percent of the vote in the March 31 Local Elections, spoke at the certificate of election ceremony.

Highlights from İmamoğlu's statements are as follows:

"THE RESULT OF THE VOTE IS CLEAR"

"This election is one of the most important turning points in Turkey's political history. And there is no turning back now. Once democracy has awakened, once freedom has found life, no one can escape it. Attempts to turn back will be futile. Remember the process that began on the night of March 31, 2019, when the AA (Anadolu Agency) cut off the data flow; unfortunately, we were struggling against a certain mindset. That mindset saw official positions or an electoral district, Istanbul, as its own property. We all saw what that mindset did. That mindset, which disregarded the national will, actually received a fundamental lesson in democracy on June 23, 2019. But unfortunately, it did not learn enough from it. That process, which began in 2019, has continued uninterruptedly in various dimensions to this day. For 5 years, they did everything they could to hinder us and make us unsuccessful. From time to time, they tried to belittle us in the eyes of the public with highly unrealistic accusations and slanders. They tried to intimidate us with politically motivated, baseless lawsuits and a different inspection or investigation every day. Of course, while they were dealing with us for 5 years, we were dealing with real life, the responsibility the nation placed on us, that is, the problems of Istanbul.

In the election held on Sunday, not only was our 5-year performance voted on. At the same time, the legitimacy of the mindset that tries to design politics with methods outside of law and democracy, and that sees itself above the nation, was also voted on. The result of the vote is clear. Our nation's noble stance at the ballot box has registered that those who do not like the will of the nation and impose their own wishes, those who try to ignore and hinder the elected representatives of the people, and those who play with the settings of the state, law, judiciary, and democracy have no place in the conscience of the nation.

"THIS ELECTION WAS A VITAL REFERENDUM FOR KANAL ISTANBUL"

Istanbulites have definitively condemned the government's policies and practices regarding the will of this city. This election was also a vital referendum for Kanal Istanbul. Our people collectively shouted 'Istanbul.' Together with our nation, we will ensure that the concrete canal project remains a cautionary tale that never came to life on the dusty shelves of history.

A president, 17 ministers, 95 percent of the established media, and public institutions that sustain their existence with all kinds of state resources and even our taxes, conducting a campaign, seeing every way as permissible to win the election, and many meaningless political understandings such as distributing money and shifting voters have been irrevocably condemned by the nation in this election. That mindset, which sees and wants to show political parties and politicians who do not support it not as rivals but as enemies, has been clearly defeated. Our nation has shown its deep conscience and wisdom. That arrogant mindset, which does not care about the economic difficulties the people are experiencing and mocks the social support given to citizens to cope with these difficulties for its own interests, has been condemned.

That management style, which avoids signing the necessary documents for our metro and other major investments to come to life and abuses the authority it possesses to the fullest extent to the detriment of the public, has been condemned. On March 31, Istanbulites clearly and loudly declared that they want law, democracy, and social justice in this city and this country. I think it will go down in history in this respect.

"A 62 MILLION TENDER WAS AWARDED IN TUZLA ON APRIL 2"

We understand that some boards, in some places in our district and city, are receiving pressure from some places on the provincial election board from time to time. I see these. I would like to ask; for example, why are you not giving the certificate of election to my young colleague and friend, Eren Ali Bingöl, whom I believe will be successful, in Tuzla, where we won by a clear margin? What is your problem, do you need time? It is unclear when our candidate, who won with an 11 percent margin, will receive the certificate. What is your goal? We are learning that while the Tuzla Mayor's term has ended, they are awarding a 62 million lira tender to someone immediately after the election, on April 2. It is very shameful! There cannot be such public morality; by what authority are you doing this? I assigned IMM inspectors as soon as I took over my duty; let both the one who gave the tender and the one who received it not be comfortable, I will follow it one-on-one, let me say it here. There are other things the Mayor is trying to do. He is trying very strange things in a panic. I had analyzed his personality years ago, but I couldn't convince anyone. Information is coming in; if there are those who are doing business with this outgoing mayor, the prolongation of this process will also harm them. In this sense, I am addressing the civil servants of our state within the Tuzla structure, the honest people who work there and sweat; every civil servant working in the institutions of this state is the crown of our heads, as long as they do their duty morally and honestly.

CRITICISM OF BEYKOZ AND GAZİOSMANPAŞA

While votes are being recounted improperly in Beykoz and Gaziosmanpaşa, the rejection of our objection in Fatih, where we lost by a narrow margin, is an attempt to usurp the will of Istanbul. I want you to know that we will follow the election results in Beykoz and Gaziosmanpaşa like the apple of our eye. By doing this, you are harming the country and the nation. Injustice does not serve you.

"ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS OF RETIREES"

Did the lawsuits you filed against me with empty justifications work? Did your attempt to wear me and Istanbul down work?

Fight inflation, address the problems of retirees. I invite all institutions here to respect the national will and to stand by the law. If the law is not equal for everyone, it ceases to be law. In this country, wherever and against whomever it may be, we will be soldiers against injustice. We have seen ourselves not as the owners of the city, but as its guardians. We will continue to be the guardians of this city and to fulfill our duty.

In 5 years in Istanbul, we have done work worth 25 years, they are going crazy because of this. Our concern is the next 25 years. We are managing Istanbul with a 2050 vision."

News Source: 12punto