Lütfü Savaş, re-nominated in Hatay, reacts to Murat Kurum: 'You cannot explain anything to him'

As reactions continue regarding the CHP's decision to re-nominate Lütfü Savaş as its Hatay Metropolitan Municipality Mayor candidate, Savaş has responded to the criticisms directed at him.

Speaking to Sözcü columnist İsmail Saymaz, Lütfü Savaş leveled harsh criticisms at Murat Kurum, the former Minister of Environment and Urbanization who is now the AKP's candidate for Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

"HE DID NOTHING"

Savaş, who stated, "The government issued an amnesty in 2018, and they granted amnesty to 205 thousand independent units in Hatay! Most of them collapsed in the earthquake!", said that at the beginning of 2021, they wrote a letter to the ministry stating, "46 neighborhoods in the center of Hatay are at risk, and 52 percent of them require urgent intervention," but they received no response.

Savaş complained, "I wish Murat Kurum, who is now trying to become the mayor of Istanbul, had worked as hard. He did nothing! He didn't even answer us. The fact that an elected mayor is not taken as a counterpart is not questioned at all. Kurum, who did not take us as a counterpart, should answer."

Savaş rebelled, saying, “They gave documents like licenses to 205 thousand units and legalized them. Does the government, which has been in power for 22 years, have no fault at all? Look, you cannot even get an answer to a letter written. Then let's cancel democracy, elections, and so on... Let there be only one AK Party, and let's just throw everything else away.”

"YOU CANNOT TALK TO MURAT KURUM, HE GETS TENSE IMMEDIATELY"

Savaş continued his remarks about Kurum as follows: “You cannot explain anything to him. You cannot talk to him at all. He looks down on people. He gets tense immediately and is not open to criticism.”

Here are the highlights from Lütfü Savaş's responses to Saymaz's questions:

"AFAD IS THE ONE CAPABLE OF EVERYTHING"

“In 2022, they issued the Turkey Disaster Response Plan (TAAMP). It is written there what to do in an earthquake. AFAD is the one capable of everything. The municipality was given two tasks: helping with burials and firefighting. There were 166 funerals in my municipality. About 1,000 of my people lost their spouses, children, mothers, and fathers. Do I have the opportunity to eliminate all the complications of the earthquake? My budget is meager. My technical team is sized for Hatay. (Regarding the licenses granted) In metropolitan cities, the districts are responsible for licensing.”

"RÖNESANS REZİDANS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ME"

"Rönesans Rezidans has nothing to do with me. The license was granted in 2010."

"I AM LIVING IN A CONTAINER"

“The earthquake lasted 110 seconds. Because four fault lines broke, vertical and horizontal waves occurred. Here, one, the earthquake code should be questioned. Two, you give licensing rights to a municipality that has no technical staff. In Hatay, I only granted licenses in the center for five years. But all of Hatay was destroyed. Four districts belong to us, 11 to the ruling party. There is no one else working but me since the earthquake. From Erzin to Arsuz, from Hassa to Kırıkhan, pipes either burst or came out. I have been in Hatay since the morning of the earthquake. I slept in the car for the first nine days. I am still living in a container. My children's homes are gone.”

'THE MINISTRY GAVE PERMISSION, TOKİ BUILT IT'

Stating that he has responsibility for the buildings that collapsed in the earthquake but that he only granted occupancy permits for 5 years, Savaş said, “The Metropolitan Municipality has no authority. I did not grant them. Most of those who granted them are AK Party municipalities. Can all the destruction belong to Lütfü Savaş? I did not allow construction on the plain. The Hatay Training and Research Hospital started when I was the Mayor of Antakya. 80 people died. Most of them were babies and children... They died in intensive care. It was built in the middle of the plain. TOKİ built it. The Ministry of Agriculture gave the permission,” he said.

'THOSE ROADS BELONG TO THE GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF HIGHWAYS'

Responding to the criticism that “There is one entrance and exit in Hatay. Savaş did not build the roads,” Savaş replied, “Those roads belong to the General Directorate of Highways. AFAD did not let the cranes of those who rented cranes to save people pass through for the first five days.”

“The government issued an amnesty in 2018, and they granted amnesty to 205 thousand independent units in Hatay! Most of them collapsed!”

Savaş responded to the criticisms that the municipality was not on the field by saying, “I was always there. The fire department had collapsed, but with the fire department you don't like, we saved more than 3,800 people in the first three days. AFAD sent those coming from outside to Kahramanmaraş and Osmaniye, saying ‘There is nothing in Hatay.’ Both in terms of food and search and rescue. Look, the government issued an amnesty in 2018. They granted amnesty to 205 thousand independent units in Hatay. Most of them collapsed. Why are these not being criticized?”

Savaş said, “They gave documents like licenses to 205 thousand units and legalized them. Does the government, which has been in power for 22 years, have no fault at all? Look, you cannot even get an answer to a letter written. Then let's cancel democracy, elections, and so on... Let there be only one AK Party, and let's just throw everything else away.”