Mansur Yavaş's 'I am not obligated to listen to insults' reaction

Ankara Metropolitan Mayor Yavaş responded to criticisms directed at him during the budget negotiations held in the municipal council. Stating that criticisms regarding two dismissed bureaucrats were meaningless, Yavaş said, "It is meaningless to look for something behind this. Some circles are not accustomed to those who make mistakes being questioned."

Yalçın stated that he found Yavaş's attendance at council sessions insufficient. Referring to a speech Yavaş gave at the Ankara City Council last month, he said, "You described a model where the mayor is questioned by council members while visiting a municipality in London, and you said that such a system should exist in Turkey as well. However, this system already exists here. Council members from every party are here; you are also facing us. We express our criticisms without insults or slander."

"I WILL ACCOUNT OPENLY"

Yavaş responded to Yalçın by recalling his statements regarding the London model. Yavaş said, "The procedure in London is for the Mayor to account not only to council members but also to different organizations designated as representatives of the public. We are already accounting here. But most importantly, we accounted to the people of Ankara, and the public approved it with 60.5 percent. There is nothing more to be said about this. As for what I called the London method, I will be the first to implement it in Turkey. There are more than 2 thousand municipalities in Turkey; if there is another mayor, let them come out and account in the same way as I do. I will explain my activities to people to be selected from various organizations, I will not determine the names myself, and I will account openly."

"I AM NOT OBLIGATED TO LISTEN TO INSULTS"

Addressing the criticisms in the council, Yavaş emphasized that he was uncomfortable with discourse containing insults, saying, "Everything that happens here is recorded. In the past, there was a council where mayors were not insulted. However, today, insults are being tolerated. I listen to criticisms, not insults. When you have criticisms, I will respond to each one. However, it is unacceptable for you to ask questions by presenting things that do not exist as if they do," he said.

'SOME ARE NOT ACCUSTOMED TO THOSE WHO MAKE MISTAKES BEING QUESTIONED'

Responding to criticisms regarding personnel changes, Yavaş said, "A change of duty was made for two of our friends. It is meaningless to look for something behind this. Some circles are not accustomed to those who make mistakes being questioned. Everything we do is transparent. If you have something to say, say it openly; prove your allegations," he said.

Yavaş said, "There are those who talk from the sidelines. Those who dance to that tune have this concern; they want to say, 'look, everyone is stealing.' We will not steal and we will not let others steal. Whoever makes a mistake will face the consequences. If we have a mistake, we are ready to pay the political price for it."

'I WILL ALSO BE A COMPLAINANT AGAINST THOSE WHO MAKE MISTAKES'

Emphasizing that there were expenditures 'many times' higher before their term, Yavaş said, "I have not eaten forbidden gains in my life, and I have no intention of eating or letting others eat them from now on. There have been 109 complaints to the prosecutor's office. 101 resulted in non-prosecution. 8 are under inspector review. God willing, not even one of my bureaucrats has left. If there is anyone who makes a mistake, I will not stand behind them. I will be a complainant along with the complainants. I will prove that the Ankara municipality can be managed cleanly, without being robbed," he said.