İmamoğlu criticizes ministers' support for Kurum: 'They must have seen our novice opponent as so weak that...'

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu attended a public meeting in Tuzla following his visit to Şile.

İmamoğlu asked for votes for the CHP Tuzla Mayoral Candidate Eren Ali Bingöl.

"THEY ARE GOING SHOP TO SHOP"

Criticizing the government support given to the AKP's IMM mayoral candidate Murat Kurum, İmamoğlu stated the following:

“Is there anyone who understands why the cabinet gathered in Istanbul from Ankara? It's not a small number, 17 people. There is a certain aspect to 17 ministers coming here. It means they must have seen our novice opponent, who hasn't done his homework, as so weak that they said, 'Let's all gather together, go, and help him out.' Well, they are welcome. They are going shop to shop. Did you watch it on television?

"WE KNOW HOW TO HOST PEOPLE"

Of course, let me say this. They didn't come alone. Just recently, 10 months ago, our nation cast their votes and he was elected. He was elected as the president of all of us, of everyone, but the President also came to Istanbul. Well, he is welcome. We are hospitable; we know how to host people. Istanbulites are hospitable. Did we not host him all together in Istanbul on June 23, 2019? And 806 thousand times at that, isn't that right? Well, we will host him even more this year. We will make him even happier. Wouldn't we do that? We will make him even happier.

"WHY DID YOU LEAVE THE STATE'S WORK AND COME HERE?"

There is something else here. I have a couple of words for the ministers who are going shop to shop or market to market in Istanbul, asking for votes. One, why did you leave the state's work and come here? There are all kinds of problems surrounding the country. There is a major massacre of people in Israel. There is a terrorist attack in Russia. We condemn terrorism everywhere. On the other hand, there are many agendas regarding foreign relations, and the Minister is here. The Minister of Interior, well, he is responsible for the security of the election, but you are asking for votes shop to shop. Does this fit into one's conscience? It does not.

"CERTAIN LEVELS OF THE STATE SHOULD NOT GET INVOLVED IN THIS"

Well then, what about the Minister of Justice? Does this country need justice? Everyone is currently saying 'Justice is the most troubled line,' but you are still going shop to shop, market to market, asking for votes. Ask for votes, that's fine, but I want to say this here. Ministers, appointed ministers, cannot and should not engage in politics like this, like a civil servant. This hurts the nation's conscience. It is a wrong practice. It shouldn't be. Certain levels of the state, certain levels of the bureaucracy should not get involved in this, but they are. They are being shameful. They are doing wrong.

"WOULDN'T OUR CITIZEN SAY TO HIM 'GO AND FIX THE INFLATION'"

The President should also not get involved in this process in this way. I mean, if the Minister responsible for the economy of this country came here and said, 'I am asking for votes for the People's Alliance candidate,' wouldn't our citizen come out and say to him, 'Go and fix the inflation'? Our police brother is waiting for the 3600 supplementary indicator from the Minister of Interior. If he were to say to someone, without even knowing if it's his spouse, 'I am asking for votes for the People's Alliance candidate,' wouldn't his spouse say to him, 'Go and fix the police's 3600 supplementary indicator problem first'? They would.

"WHAT THEY ARE DOING DOES NOT FIT INTO GALLANTRY"

Therefore, these things being done actually damage the order of the state. What they are doing does not fit into gallantry. These 17 ministers, plus the candidate, 17+1, plus the President; 17+2. Are we ready to be hospitable to them all together? Will we make them happy with our hospitality on March 31? Will we make them happy in Tuzla, in Istanbul, with a historic vote margin and send them back to Ankara to do their jobs? After all, he is the head of our state, and after all, they are our ministers too. It is our duty to make them happy. We will satisfy them.

"THEY INVESTIGATED EKREM İMAMOĞLU EXACTLY 1,019 TIMES"

Especially during the month of Ramadan, one should not violate the rights of others. One should not lie. One should not slander. Have they investigated this brother of yours for 5 years? They have. Did they send inspectors? They did. Did they send auditors? They did. What did they do? They did this. They investigated Ekrem İmamoğlu exactly 1,019 times. Let them send them, they are welcome. We are not uncomfortable with being inspected. They scrutinized us. Look, in the 5 years before us, they came to every institution of this city 140 times. In our term, exactly 1,019 times.

"THEY ARE ATTEMPTING TO STAIN WITH PLOTS AND LIES"

Did they visit institutions they had never visited in 20 years? They did. Look, you looked with a magnifying glass for 5 years, you looked from below, it didn't work, you looked from above, it didn't work. You scrutinized, you pulled from every side. You even gave Ekrem İmamoğlu a prison sentence in the courts. Isn't that right? They saw it still wasn't working; a week before, they are attempting to stain Ekrem with plots and lies. God is my witness, I am saying this during the month of Ramadan; let them try to stain. It won't even stick like dust. Bad words belong to the one who says them. I am saying this during the month of Ramadan. May God reform them. May God give them wisdom.

"DEAR YOUNG PEOPLE, PLEASE PULL YOURSELVES TOGETHER"

From here, I want to address all young people. I know, young people stay away from politics. They are right. Young people now think: 'No matter what we do, nothing changes.' That's what they say, and young people don't want to go to the polls. Young people are right, but let me say this. I want to remind young people of something in this election. Dear young people, please pull yourselves together. The fate of Turkey is in your hands. You can change the history of Turkey, its process that is going badly, with one vote. I invite all our young people to the polls. Exercise your right.

"WE WILL DESTROY ALL DESPAIR"

Support us, who protect your rights, give you scholarships, open dormitories for you, pave the way for young people, and carry out the projects that the youth want. Support our young mayor in Tuzla. Support İmamoğlu's second term in Istanbul. Let us ignite another strong youth fire from Istanbul together with you. May this youth fire change Turkey's unfortunate processes all together. Just as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk entrusted the country to the youth, today our young people have great responsibilities again. I believe that our young people will heed this call. I believe they will not return to before 2019, and together, hopefully, we will destroy all the despair they feel in this process."