Republican People's Party (CHP) İzmir Karabağlar Mayoral Candidate Helil Kınay: 'If we remain silent, no one will have any hope left'

CHP Karabağlar Mayoral Candidate Helil Kınay began her day by meeting with workers at the Tüm-Bel-Sen İzmir Branch No. 2. Stating that she stands with workers at the table, in the legal arena, and on the streets, Kınay emphasized that she will fight with the same determination to defend the rights of every single citizen in Karabağlar.

Stating that she will be in touch with citizens throughout the entire 5-year term, not just during election periods, Kınay said, "If we remain silent, no one will have any hope left. We will exist if we all exist; if even one of us is missing, we will cease to exist."

Following her speech, Kınay signed a commitment regarding gender inequality.

MET WITH TRADESPEOPLE AND CITIZENS

After her visit to the Tüm-Bel-Sen İzmir Branch No. 2, Kınay, accompanied by former CHP MP Musa Çam, met with tradespeople and citizens in the Fahrettin Altay and Üçkuyular neighborhoods. Chatting with local residents, Kınay listened to their problems and stated that they would quickly begin work for a better Karabağlar.

"WE ARE LIVING BELOW THE HUNGER THRESHOLD TO PAY THEIR BILLS"

Following her tradesperson visits, Kınay met with Üçkuyular neighborhood residents at İsmet Cafe. Meeting with the citizens, Kınay stated that they are fighting for the future of the country, saying, "We are living below the hunger threshold to pay their bills."

Speaking about those who allow imams into schools via the ÇEDES project at a time when teachers cannot be appointed to schools, Kınay promised to fight on this issue as well, stating, "I do not make promises I cannot keep, but I can promise that I will fight for what I cannot do."

GUEST OF THE ÖZER FAMILY FOR IFTAR

After the meeting at İsmet Cafe, Mayoral Candidate Kınay had iftar at the home of the Özer family in Limontepe. She expressed her gratitude to the family for their hospitality and smiling faces.

After iftar, she also visited the Tosun and Zengi families. Listening to the problems of the families and neighborhood residents, Kınay stated that they would work together with commissions to be established after the election to solve these problems and that they would develop projects to address the issues experienced.

"THE STATE IS NOT A CONTRACTOR"

After visiting the Zengi family, Kınay met with neighborhood residents at the Durak Coffeehouse, where she was greeted with enthusiasm, and noted that no one would be able to say, "You came once and never came back."

"Everyone needs to know that they are a citizen and to feel that they are not an 'other.' We say we are here for a Karabağlar where no one feels alone," she said.

Making assessments regarding urban transformation, Helil Kınay said, "Healthy and safe housing is a right of citizenship and a duty of the state. We will carry out an urban transformation that is fair, equitable, discussed around a table with citizens, and where citizens are informed at every stage. When planning urban transformation, we will create a plan that is suitable for the citizens' economy and takes social living spaces into consideration. Those living in the structures in Fikirtepe and Sulukule, which are shown as Turkey's largest urban transformation projects in Istanbul, are not the citizens who lived there. They removed the original residents from their homes overnight with bulldozers and police force. This is not called urban transformation; it is called rent-seeking transformation. The state is not a contractor. It does not build housing for profit; it builds housing to meet the citizens' need for shelter."

"OUR COUNTRY HAS TURNED INTO A CONCRETE GRAVEYARD BECAUSE OF ZONING AMNESTIES"

Responding to the government's claims that municipalities and professional chambers object to urban transformation projects, Kınay said, "If they made those plans for the benefit of the citizens, municipalities and professional chambers would not object. They are the ones who brought zoning amnesties for the buildings that became graves for our citizens on February 6. Our country has turned into a concrete graveyard because of zoning amnesties. We will carry out urban transformation that defends the rights of our citizens, is done on-site, and serves the citizens, not rent-seekers."

"EVERY WORD OF MINE IS A COMMITMENT"

Stating that they have met with Urban Transformation Associations and that they will begin work as of April 1, and that they will establish a commission with the participation of citizens, the municipality, and professional chambers, Kınay said, "We met with our associations; there are shortcomings and inadequacies in the submitted commitment. Urban transformation in Limontepe cannot be the same as urban transformation in Fahrettin Altay. We are talking about a study and commitments for the whole of Karabağlar. I have been sharing my words about urban transformation for years. I am not making urban transformation statements just because I am a mayoral candidate; I have been dealing with Karabağlar's urban transformation problems since 2012 because I am an environmental engineer and a rights advocate. I have stood by the victims of urban transformation until today. I will continue to stand by them as mayor after April 1. We will establish a separate commission regarding urban transformation. Every word of mine is a commitment."

News Source: 12punto