Kavuncu meets with journalists: “We are coming in 3rd in the polls”

Ercan KÜÇÜK - 12punto.com.tr

As the date for the local elections approaches, candidates have also increased their pace. One of the candidates in Istanbul, the province where results are most anticipated, is İYİ Party candidate Buğra Kavuncu. Kavuncu met with journalists today. Answering questions, Kavuncu announced that he is coming in 3rd place in the polls they commissioned themselves.

Discussing his projects for Istanbul, Kavuncu stated that they have grouped Istanbul's long-unresolved problems under 4 main headings: transportation, housing, social municipalism, and irregular migration. Emphasizing that during Ekrem İmamoğlu's term as mayor, he presented the work they had done as a party regarding housing and transportation issues, Kavuncu said, “Istanbul's report card is poor.” When asked about İmamoğlu's ‘I am the conqueror of the metro’ remarks, Kavuncu said, “If I am traveling slower than before and spending more time in traffic, I find the term 'conqueror of the metro' to be an exaggeration.”

Kavuncu stated that he wants to win in the elections to be held on March 31, adding, “It does not concern me who else wins. If I lose, I will be sad; I will not be happy whoever else wins.”

“I AM THE 3RD MOST RECOGNIZED CANDIDATE”

Kavuncu also answered 12punto's questions during the program. In his response to a question regarding the 1.7 percent figure shown in the poll published yesterday by the Gezici Research Company, Kavuncu used the following expressions:

“That is not the only poll; there are also polls that show us at 6 percent. Everyone starts the race with the vote percentage they received in the previous election. Some start with 30, some with 7-8. Some start with 2-3. Everyone starts with the vote percentage they have already received. We will explain ourselves, we will clarify. We will answer questions. In the end, the voter will make a decision. There will be a winner of this election. All other candidates will lose. Every candidate enters this election to win. They do not enter for any other reason or with any other intention. We are also entering to win.

I am one of the 3 most recognized candidates in the field. Recognition is important. In terms of recognition, 2 candidates are very advantageous. In the polls we conducted, we come out as the 3rd name the voter knows best. We have recognition close to 20 percent. I also remember the day Ekrem İmamoğlu became a candidate. His recognition was also very low. He started with a recognition rate so low that it could not be compared to Binali Yıldırım. And over time, as they explain themselves and their projects, candidates reach a wider audience.

There is interest in the field. When I say I am the İBB candidate of the İYİ Party in the field, the citizen makes comments, offers suggestions, and gives advice. If there is anyone who says they don't know me, we introduce ourselves. Whoever goes to the citizens saying 'I am the İBB candidate' will receive interest. Therefore, do not make evaluations based on a single-digit figure given by one firm. There are many polling firms. Their poll results are also completely different.

All the data we have shows us as the 3rd party. We also saw how the polls and realization rates were in the general elections. Of course, there are margins of error. But there are still 30 days left. A lot can change.”

SARI'S RESIGNATION

Regarding the resignation of İBB Group Deputy Chairman Suat Sarı, who emphasized a lack of merit in the party, Kavuncu said:

“There is a resignation mechanism. There are friends of mine who have resigned but with whom I still have a relationship and whom I meet. Suat Sarı made a statement regarding the reasons for his resignation. Suat Sarı did not resign by saying 'I am resigning and supporting such and such candidate.' He thought he was more suitable for the İBB candidacy himself. Because of this, he brought up the issue of merit. These are relative. The justifications are very different from each other.”