Former IMM Mayor Gürtuna's assessment of the 'Gaziosmanpaşa' election: Hard to call it right

Ali Müfit Gürtuna joined the Rota program on Halk TV by phone and made assessments regarding the current agenda. Gürtuna evaluated the events that took place in Gaziosmanpaşa.

The highlights from Gürtuna's statement are as follows:

It is hard to call what was done in Gaziosmanpaşa right, and it is also wrong to reduce this only to Gaziosmanpaşa... Respect for differences is the essence of democracy; we need to understand and practice democracy so as not to act differently in every situation we encounter...

It is important that the deputy of a mayor who has been removed from office for any reason continues from the same party; this prevents people from feeling victimized. The frequent repetition of this weakens our common values and weakens our sense of togetherness...

Over time, the society's immune system weakens, which in turn weakens the state's institutions. The strength of state institutions depends on this, and this strength comes from adhering to law and justice. If we make this a part of our political culture, we will not experience similar problems every time.

We should view the Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality incident as a matter of establishing democratic traditions, and we must look at it from a national perspective rather than just a local one. We need to approach this with seriousness; as a country, we have no time to lose. We cannot afford to neglect or lose even a single person...

Municipalities and the government should work hand in hand; there should be a fierce competition until the election, but after the election, one should not look back, and they should work together regardless of the party. This is an important factor that will make this country strong.

If local governments, public units, and non-governmental organizations in Turkey act in cooperation, our social and economic life will be regularized. We must build institutions that act together to solve the country's problems, not institutions that fight each other.

EVALUATED THE TRUSTEES APPOINTED TO CHP MUNICIPALITIES

Everyone should be able to be tried, look, there should be no exceptions, everyone should be able to be tried... No one should be untouchable... Is there a need for arrest, especially when there is no concrete structure in place, and treating it as if a major crime has been committed, particularly surrounding the IMM mayor's house with police and detaining him, is also legally problematic behavior. It has created a sense of victimization among a very significant segment of society.

Citizens ask, 'If there is so much irregularity, why is no action taken?' It causes confusion. It can also shake confidence in the state's judicial mechanism. If there is to be a trial here, let it happen, but let it be done according to procedure. 

When addressing an issue, one must not lose sight of courtesy; even if there are different political mentalities, relationships should be helpful. They should not be damaging to one another. By lifting each other up and making each other strong, we can also make the country strong.

IS THERE DISCOMFORT REGARDING WHAT IS HAPPENING WITHIN THE AKP?

We have meetings from time to time with figures within the AKP whom we could call high-ranking... They think that the mistakes made damage trust and they are aware that this does not provide any contribution to the AKP. They express this discomfort, but there is nothing they can do either.

WILL THIS PROCESS STOP SOMEWHERE? WILL IT GET EVEN HARSHER?

Our biggest problem is that the approach of 'let us be in power no matter what' leads to mistakes. This is a general rule... What is important is that the rules function, and whatever the result is, it should be accepted. When it is like this, there is no discomfort in society. However, if there is a legitimacy problem in the actions taken, the public becomes anxious. It becomes difficult to govern the country, and the AKP should see this situation... Our people, our parties, and the bureaucracy are getting tired. Municipalities have become unable to get work done, the bureaucracy has become unable to get work done... Society is paying the price for this in one way or another...

There is no production in a demoralized country; dependency increases there. If a country's balances turn negative, this leads to the entrenchment of deadlock in every field. 

IS THERE A PROBLEM BETWEEN THE AKP AND BEŞTEPE?

It would not be right for me to get into this subject, but I can say this: the AKP needs to display a monolithic structure. Because the government is the locomotive of a country, our wish is for the AKP cadres to display a harmonious working relationship within themselves. Party and parliamentary cadres should work in coordination. They should also establish a ground for national consensus with other parties and reach out to other parties on this matter.