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Tension between Mehmet Akif Ersoy and Zafer Party IMM candidate over 'They are Turks' remark

Zafer Party Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate Azmi Karamahmutoğlu experienced a brief moment of tension with journalist and program host Mehmet Akif Ersoy during a live broadcast.

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Karamahmutoğlu answered questions from Mehmet Akif Ersoy on Habertürk.

While outlining his promises for Istanbul during the program, Azmi Karamahmutoğlu also discussed his party's immigration policy.

When he mentioned the issue of immigrant child laborers, the Zafer Party Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate Azmi Karamahmutoğlu was warned by the program host Ersoy not to make distinctions. Shortly after, while discussing problems on the employer side, Karamahmutoğlu reacted to Mehmet Akif Ersoy's interjection of "They are Turks."

The dialogue that caused the brief tension between the two unfolded as follows:

Azmi Karamahmutoğlu: Employers, by exploiting the cheap labor of illegal immigrants...

Mehmet Akif Ersoy: They are Turks, they are Turks, they are Turks.

Karamahmutoğlu: You were just saying let's not make distinctions; why do you emphasize 'Turks' when something bad happens?