Cemil Tugay spoke openly about the local election results

Parties are counting down the days for the local elections to be held on March 31, and candidates are continuing their work in the remaining time.

Answering questions from Mehmet Akif Ersoy on Habertürk, CHP Karşıyaka Mayor and İzmir Metropolitan Municipality mayoral candidate Cemil Tugay explained the election process and his work.

Commenting on why Tunç Soyer was not nominated again, Tugay said, "Mayor Tunç has his own vision, goals, and perspectives. Looking from that angle, he is certainly successful. But the public has expectations. He might have had difficulty explaining some things or might have fallen short," he said.

Highlights from Tugay's statements are as follows:

I have a special dialogue with children, young people, and elderly people. I might be the politician who takes the most photos with children. I love them very much, and they love me too. Sometimes we gather together on stage and take photos. I truly believe in politics most for the future of children. It is worth fighting for them.

"WE DID GREAT WORK TOGETHER WITHIN 5 YEARS"

I was someone very close to Tunç Soyer. Soyer and I had a shared destiny. While he was becoming the İzmir Metropolitan Mayor, I became the Karşıyaka Mayor with his reference. Within 5 years, until the last party assembly process, we did great work together. I still feel close to him. I have nothing against him personally.

We shared our views with each other, and we took different sides at the party assembly. Ultimately, when I was applying for candidacy, both I thought so and the headquarters did. They had stated who they would prefer among other candidates if Tunç Soyer did not run.

I acted respectfully towards this and took care not to stand out too much. Of course, when he was not nominated, the mayor experienced some hurt, and he is right. I only made a criticism in a friendly environment saying, 'The Mayor did not work with us but came to Istanbul,' but I regretted it later. After the video recording made there was shared somewhere, it drew attention and the incident grew. We met at the İzmir Chamber of Commerce recently.

"HE HAS GREAT EFFORT IN İZMİR"

I was uncomfortable with my criticism there growing so much. Let's call it a small resentment stemming from friendship. It was an emotional reaction I expressed there. My love and respect for Mayor Tunç continue. Beyond that, he has great effort in İzmir.

Later, we met face-to-face and encountered each other in different environments. He was emotionally uncomfortable that day; I understood him, and I was a bit sad. But it is not like that these days. He participated in the work in Çiğli and Bornova. We will be at a groundbreaking ceremony tomorrow. I will continue my relationship with Tunç Soyer. I will continue his projects. He is a valuable person for us.

"THE PUBLIC HAS EXPECTATIONS"

Mayor Tunç has his own vision, goals, and perspectives. Looking from that angle, he is certainly successful. But the public has expectations. He might have had difficulty explaining some things or might have fallen short. İzmir went through a difficult period once; the pandemic, the earthquake, economic crises. There is a reason why water prices are high in İzmir.

There is a high energy cost, and it is reflected in the prices. There might have been a slight deficiency in informing people. The period was a troubled period, and there might have been problems in coordination within the institution. The process where he started well-intentioned and successful projects was successful.

"WHOEVER IS DOING THIS MUST STOP"

We have not encountered Hamza Dağ during the election process. We have met and talked many times before. He lives in Karşıyaka. He conducts politics with a focus on Karşıyaka. The phrase 'What did he do in Karşıyaka?' is an expression repeated like a broken record by a group of accounts on social media that I do not know and have no idea who they are. I do not see an objective criticism here.

For a while, such methods have been used while conducting politics. I find this very wrong, to say the least. If we do not protect the ethics of politics, if we try to direct something with artificial perception studies... Whoever is doing this must stop.

What we have done is really a lot. I can tell you about many things locally. I can tell you in terms of the planning of municipal services in general, where what needs to be done, and the decisions made. Ultimately, in a way that meets the needs and expectations of the public, more than 50 parks, the renovation of the Karşıyaka bazaar, the construction of the civil society campus, and more than 60 associations using that place as an office.

"WE HAVE MANY SERVICES WE PROVIDE TO THE ELDERLY"

We planted 100 thousand trees in the city. We built countless parking lots. We produced asphalt, we renewed roads. We built an athletics track and a park. We built an oral and dental health center for children. Completely free. Our friends made more than 15 thousand home visits under the Karşıyaka 95 project, which educates mothers for newborns, makes home visits, and meets the needs of babies.

We are interested in children aged 0-3. 95 is the length of a 3-year-old child. The mastermind of the project is an international foundation. Its partner in Turkey is Boğaziçi University.

The people who make the visits receive training from Boğaziçi, follow the children, and reach them by phone in emergencies to get information. We have many services we provide to the elderly.

"İZMİR IS ACTUALLY A CITY OF PEACE"

There are 1 million 200 thousand retirees in İzmir. İzmir is actually a city of peace. We are making efforts to protect this feature of ours. The number of people who migrated out of İzmir last year was 107 thousand, and those who came from outside were 132 thousand. The young population leaving İzmir, those coming are older and retired populations. I think we have realized at least 80 percent of what we promised 5 years ago.

"WE DO NOT LOOK AT IT AS 'THEY WILL VOTE FOR US ANYWAY'"

For the past 5 years, I have never slept in, including Sunday mornings. I did not take a vacation either. I devoted so little time to my own private life. I strongly reject the expression 'they sat around doing nothing.' Mayors are not people who can sit around doing nothing. When we look at it since İhsan Alyanak, whom I have seen in my life, they are all people who truly serve İzmir.

Among them, there are people who do not come from the CHP tradition like Burhan Özfatura, and we are grateful to them. Since we evaluate ourselves through the values we defend, İzmir and İzmir's values overlap with the values defended by the CHP. We do not have a comfort zone here.

We do not look at it as 'they will vote for us anyway.' On the contrary, if we cannot provide the expected service, we embarrass ourselves. Let this not lead to the conclusion that; İzmir residents will give up their values, their beliefs, give up their lifestyle, and choose something else. Saying there is no service on this side and there is service on the other side is not a fair assessment. There may have been things that went wrong. There will not be a perspective of 'whatever happens here'.

"A CITY WHERE SOCIAL LIFE IS RICH"

İzmir voters make political evaluations regarding the future of the city and the country, as well as positive and negative thoughts about services. I hear that they have expectations in terms of service; but that they will not give up their ideological perspectives no matter what. They do not want disruptions in basic municipal services. I hear that problems regarding roads should be resolved.

Other than that, there is a desire for a clean Gulf. They have expectations regarding traffic and transportation. In İzmir's own urban culture, it is actually called Aegean culture, Republican, Kemalist, valuing secularism, in a sense, Turkey's window opening to the west. A city where civil society is developed and social life is rich. I have heard this from many people, there are expressions like we come to İzmir to breathe. Let's say from other distant cities. Do not ask me which city.

"WE WERE NOT VERY RICH BUT WE WERE VERY HAPPY"

İzmir is rich in terms of social life. People are tolerant. No one puts pressure on anyone in İzmir. Protecting this is important for İzmir. What we want is; for everyone in this country to respect each other's thoughts, beliefs, and lifestyle. Within this, there are many elements such as democracy, freedoms, an independent judiciary, a healthy legal system, and an independent press. You can see these more in İzmir. People can organize more easily. These can always be against local governments, not against the government. This culture is valuable.

We find this culture more correct for Turkey. People want this culture to continue. We have always loved İzmir like this. For us, our neighbor is like a relative. We truly care about living in harmony and brotherhood outside. Perhaps they care about traditions and customs in the Aegean region of İzmir. It has its own spirituality. They may not be very religious, but with their beliefs or consciences.

In this respect, I was very happy to live in İzmir. We were very protected and looked after when we were children. We were not very rich but we were very happy. The remnants of that still continue in İzmir. A little civilization, a little modernity, a little democracy. İzmir is a city where art and culture are very intense. People have dozens of choirs in Karşıyaka. They come together in the evenings and sing songs. We give them a hall, the concerts are packed. No one should come here and say this is forbidden, that is forbidden. People do not want this, they avoid it.

"WHEN YOU DO NOT VOTE, SOMEONE ELSE WILL DETERMINE YOUR DESTINY"

Frankly, we have no fear of losing the election. Every party has a separate candidate. Each of them will have a separate vote. It will inevitably affect the vote rate. There is a significant number of voters who seem undecided and still seem not to have made a decision. There is also a possibility that they will not go to the ballot box. Which I find wrong. I find it wrong not to make a choice when a decision is being made about one's own future in an election. People should go and cast their votes in the direction they find correct.

When you do not vote, someone else will determine your destiny. Our estimates are that, by maintaining the vote rate and vote differences, we think that a result will be reached when the undecideds are distributed. Making a prediction about the vote rate makes me uncomfortable.

In the process that will start after election day, if I am to be the mayor, it is to manage the city with an understanding that we listen to their words, whether they vote for me or not. It is not right to sit on the sidelines relying on the fact that I received this many votes. Ultimately, whoever our people vote for the most will be the mayor. The important thing is a municipality that provides real solutions with the understanding that that mayor does not alienate anyone.

"IT WAS A TIRING CAMPAIGN PERIOD"

We start early in the morning. I sometimes wake up at 5 AM. There are visits we make early. We have been to many places so far. There are places I still want to go. It ends late every evening. We participate in iftar programs during Ramadan. There is also suhoor. It has really been an extra tiring campaign period. You get physically tired. My wife participates in the programs from time to time. She participates in the programs when there is no obligation to take care of our home and children. Thank God, she is with me as often as possible.

"İZMİR RESIDENTS WANT THEIR CITY GREEN"

Let's think about İzmir all together. We have a magnificent gulf. We have magnificent hills. We have natural forests on those hills. It is a city with very beautiful nature. In its nearby regions, we have extraordinarily beautiful bays, seas, and history. From Ephesus, Bergama, Kemeraltı, to Kadifekale.

The biggest problem of this city right now is that it is a bit densely built, irregularly built in some places. Traffic is very congested in some points.

The expectation regarding its cleanliness is high. İzmir residents want their city green. They want a city with many fruit trees, parks, sports fields, and social facilities.

"WE NEED TO REPLAN"

Our city needs to be replanned when viewed from above. İzmir is a city of 4.5 million. 3 million live around the gulf. There are unplanned, built-up areas in this field. There are areas where roads are not wide enough, and social facilities and equipment areas are not sufficient. We need to plan these. In some regions, there is a density of risky structures due to earthquake risk.

The issue of risky structures is related to the ground, this should be understood. We experienced an earthquake on October 30. I participated very often in the teams that went to the homes of all buildings in Karşıyaka. Although it is not my area of expertise, I learned a lot. We held 5 workshops. There are buildings that have received a decision that the building is old and a risky structure, but when the ground is solid, there is not even a plaster crack. That is how important ground stability is.

When we map the heavily and moderately damaged buildings, you see that they are places where the ground is bad. We need to evaluate the ground correctly in terms of earthquake risk. İzmir Metropolitan Municipality has started work on this. We will complete this. We will evaluate whether the buildings are solid or not. If the building is risky, the transformation must be done urgently. I definitely promise this transformation to eliminate these vital risks.

"THE GOAL IS NOT TO BUILD HIGH BUILDINGS"

It has not started and finished in Karşıyaka yet. I think we can finish it within 1 year for areas that will look risky. We will definitely produce housing. İzmir has a company called Ege Şehir Planlama. In these past 5 years, İzbeton tried to work on this issue. İzbeton was a company established to meet the need for roads and asphalt. In this period, it undertook urban transformation works.

I am thinking of changing this. İzbeton should return to road and asphalt work, and Ege Şehir Planlama should do urban transformation. I say at least 25 thousand. İzmir needs new and healthy sub-settlement units. Not suffocating the city center but not too disconnected from the city center.

Infrastructure needs must definitely be prepared and made, and a living space where one can live with pleasure must be created. There are good examples of this in Turkey. Let's start such a tradition. Our goal is not very high buildings, but in the end, high buildings can be built where needed. But the goal is not to build high buildings. I believe we can produce at least 25 thousand houses in total.

"IT NEEDS A TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN"

We propose underpasses at at least 7-8 points, in Halkapınar, in Bayraklı. We will regulate traffic with intersection arrangements, bridge intersections, and underpasses on Anadolu Street, in Mürsel Paşa, in Ege Neighborhood. İzmir needs a transportation master plan. Alternative roads and connection roads will definitely be worked on. There must be an alternative road to Anadolu Street.

There must be an alternative airport road. Intermediate connection roads must definitely be opened in Karabağlar. The old İzmir road must definitely be widened. Many studies like this.

By intervening wherever traffic is congested. There will be a very serious relief in the short term. There will also be a solution in the long term. There is a light rail system project to Kemalpaşa. The Buca metro, which has been projected, and the Karabağlar-Gaziemir metro will continue.

"THE GULF IS CLEANER THAN BEFORE"

It is necessary to know that the Gulf is cleaner now than it was in the past. The Gulf did not become dirtier in the last period. We have a large canal project and a treatment plant. As the capacity increases, the flow within the canal will accelerate, and therefore possible floods, discharges, and some leaks in case of rain will not occur. With the separation of rainwater channels, the strengthening of pumping stations, and the increase in the capacity of the treatment plant, the 4th phase is currently continuing, and the 5th phase also needs to be built.

When these are done, the pollution of the Gulf with dirty water will be solved. I am really excited about this. In the past period, when it was said that one could swim in the Gulf, it was carried to a tabloid dimension. I do not want to say such things. I believe we will clean it very seriously in 5 years.

We have an idea to build district marinas in the north and south. We have an idea to build public beaches. We can build public beaches in İnciraltı, Narlıdere. I truly believe this is possible. We have a lot of work to do in the Gulf. We have our port, our shipyard there. As the Çandarlı port becomes active, İzmir can turn more into a passenger port. These are ideas we need to talk about.