Buğra Kavuncu: What Murat Kurum and Ekrem İmamoğlu are saying is not realistic

İYİ Party Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate Buğra Kavuncu answered questions from Mehmet Akif Ersoy on Habertürk.

Kavuncu, the former Istanbul Provincial Chair of the İYİ Party, said, "The race for the Istanbul metropolitan mayoral election will take place between Murat Kurum, Ekrem İmamoğlu, and myself."

URBAN TRANSFORMATION AGENDA

Kavuncu's statements are as follows:

They ask what we will do for retirees in terms of social municipalism. Young people talk about their economic situation. Traffic is a problem. In every district we visit, urban transformation has become an issue. People are living in uncertainty and are afraid. The pressure from voters to 'solve the urban transformation problem' is very valuable. What Murat Kurum and Ekrem İmamoğlu are saying is not realistic. It is not very realistic to say that you will solve urban transformation in Istanbul within 5 years or less. In addition to island-based solutions, you have to solve the financing problem. The state can open temporary accounts for real estate buying and selling.

"ENCOURAGING REACTIONS ARE MORE FREQUENT"

The reactions are very different. Questions about the alliance are much fewer than I anticipated. There are more encouraging and heartening reactions. There are many people who have voted for the ruling party but are uncomfortable with the direction of the economy. Of course, there are also those who criticize. Our visibility will never be as high as theirs. Our recognition comes right after their recognition. There is also impartial media. Your channel is one of them. We find space here. For us, the press is the pipe, the space where we can breathe. We will express ourselves through you. A press that prevents this is not truly a press or a news outlet; it is a propaganda tool.

"IT IS NOT RIGHT TO MAKE ASSESSMENTS BASED ON STATEMENTS FROM KANDIL"

It appears that there is a togetherness. I hear that they are together. There is one thing we are sure of. In the alliance we formed, there was no involvement whatsoever, and it was not even mentioned. They wouldn't want us where we are anyway. It is not right to make assessments based on statements from Kandil; it does not concern us in the slightest. They will never call for or want us where we are. This will definitely have a response at the ballot box. There will be a reaction, there will be a response, and we will all see it together on March 31.

"OUR ORGANIZATIONS ARE VERY BUSY"

It looks like the race will be between the three of us. As we approach the final stretch and our recognition increases, I think the favor will be high. We are a new party. We brought the party to this point in 7 years. It is not easy to establish and sustain a party. You have no chance or possibility of succeeding without penetrating the capillaries. Our program is very intense all over Turkey. Our organizations are very motivated. We are a large group everywhere. We do not say 'no' to any broadcast offer from the media.