İmamoğlu reminds the government of 'Melen Dam' and 'Kanal Istanbul': 'You have made a complete mess of it'

Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu spoke at the opening ceremony of the İSKİ Ömerli Basin Environmental Project. While stating that he has been calling for action on the Melen Dam for 4 years, İmamoğlu also issued a reminder regarding Kanal Istanbul.

İmamoğlu said the following:

MELEN REMINDER

“Those who have their signatures on the Melen Dam process and hid it from the nation have now come out and promised 6 more dams to Istanbul. One should say, 'For heaven's sake, do not use the word dam.' When you look at the process reached in the 10 years I have been speaking about, I don't even want to guess whether the 6 dams they promised to Istanbul would be finished in 60 years or when they would be finished. God knows how much damage would be done to the public treasury if those who have wasted billions of liras of our people's money in this process were to attempt to build 6 dams!" 

"LET US DO IT"

"Istanbul's drinking water issue is very important. They have to account to the people of Istanbul regarding the Melen Dam; those who cannot do so cannot have any credible words. No sentences are being formed on two issues: the Melen Dam drinking water project and Kanal Istanbul. It is as if both are non-existent in their memories. They cannot even say, 'We could not build the Melen Dam, my fellow citizens, I apologize,' nor do they say how they will solve this. I have been calling for this incessantly for exactly 4 years. I made a call last week: let us work on this, as we are already about to finish the investments around the Melen Dam. If you say, 'Let us take this project, bring it to a level where it can be built, and then you build the construction,' we will do that too. Leave the Melen Dam alone; you have made a complete mess of it, let us do it. I am making the call again."

KANAL ISTANBUL DIG AT MURAT KURUM

Pointing out that Murat Kurum did not touch upon the subject of "Kanal Istanbul," İmamoğlu said:

"Say yes or no to Kanal Istanbul, there is no sound. They are trying to deceive the citizens with vague words like 'it is not on our agenda' because it is election time. I say, 'Look, look, look,' they have not let it fall from their tongues until today, saying it would make Turkey soar—whatever this 'soaring' is, they could never land on the ground. They are soaring so high that the number of countries in the world with double-digit inflation is so small, and thank God, they have made us soar to triple digits!"

"A DIGNIFIED ADMINISTRATION WILL SOLVE IT"

"A single person with a sense of keeping their word and a dignified administration will solve Istanbul's problems," said İmamoğlu, adding, "We have been proving this for 4.5 years. From subways to infrastructure, from social support to culture and arts. We are in the midst of a great breakthrough, from the support given to animal husbandry in Istanbul to everything else."

"LET THEM FINISH MELEN, PERHAPS THEN THEY MIGHT HAVE THE FACE TO SHOW"

Continuing to pressure the government, İmamoğlu spoke as follows:

“You can see what a great difference there is in morality and seriousness. That is why I say in every matter, look at the issue as 'the wasters' versus 'the doers.' Our people see this difference and are turning to us. Because the wasters are aware of this situation, they are doing everything they can to avoid talking about Istanbul with the people of Istanbul. They will be in an effort to move away from the subject and shift it to other arenas. They are at such a point that they are even going as far as saying, 'We held general elections, let us not hold local elections.' Their perspective is, 'Whatever we say, let it be.' This mentality has nothing to offer Istanbul. They are worried about what else they can take from Istanbul. In Istanbul, the era of waste has closed, and the era of action has begun. If they have the intention to enter the election with the hope of winning Istanbul again, I do not know how much time they have left in government until 2029—is it 3-4 years left? In this time frame, let them finish Melen, and perhaps then they might have the face to show."